Meet Donald C., Parent Mentor at Akron Children's
Donald's Story
Our daughter, Amelia “Millie,” was born unexpectedly at 31 weeks, weighing just 3lbs 11oz. After her mother’s emergency delivery due to Preeclampsia, Millie spent a few days in the NICU at Summa Akron before being transferred to Akron Children’s for more specialized care—her first car ride, which she handled like a champ.
She began treatment for jaundice and soon faced a bigger challenge: breathing independently. Oxygen support prevented bottle feeding, and attempts to wean her led to frequent “desat” episodes. Eventually, we reached a point where feedings could begin—but Millie struggled to coordinate swallowing and breathing.
As parents, this was incredibly hard. Feedings often led to drops in heart rate and oxygen levels. The team tried different bottles and flow rates, but nothing worked—until one terrifying feed with me where Millie became unresponsive. That led to a swallow study, which revealed she was silently aspirating during feeds.
The solution was thickening her feedings—and suddenly, she was thriving. Bottle after bottle, she improved. We learned everything about managing dysphagia, from products to prep techniques. It was overwhelming, but worth it.
After 73 days in the NICU, we finally brought Millie home. Now, at nearly 5 months old (3 months corrected), she’s over 10lbs and doing incredibly well. There’s no set timeline for her recovery, but she continues to show us strength beyond her size—and we’ll walk beside her every step of the way.
Donald is a parent mentor for these conditions: Developmental Delays, Dysphagia, Feeding Disorders, Prematurity.
Donald is a mentor for these care services: Cardiology, Developmental Delay, Endocrine, Feeding and Nutrition, NICU, Pulmonary, Rehab, Trach / Ventilator
