NICU Nurse / NICU Mom

“She is a great mom, and he’s a great daddy.” That’s the first thing One by One mentor Dawneen said when asked about her OBO mom Amber.

Dawneen, a NICU nurse, heard about OBO via a radio ad on KLOVE in Mississippi. Dawneen’s youngest child was off at college, so she had been praying about what was next for her. Because of her work in NICU and her love for young moms, when she heard our ad she was immediately drawn to our program. Amber heard about One by One from a meeting at Inside Out. She called and requested a mentor, and we matched her with Dawneen. Shortly after we matched the two, doctors put Amber on bedrest, making it hard for them to meet in person.

Dawneen said Amber was compliant with her doctor’s orders. Dawneen visited Amber at her home where she was able to meet Amber’s two girls (age 4 and 2) and Tevin, the children’s father. Dawneen said she and Amber were going through One by One’s “Hello, Little One” book when Tevin took notice. “He really got into it. He took it, and called his mom so he could fill out all of the family tree information.” Dawneen and Amber quickly went through the 3rd trimester information and began looking forward to starting the “first month” visit after Amber welcomed another precious baby girl.

As is the case with so many OBO matches, we began to see it was God, not us, that made this match. Amber’s baby ended up being in the NICU for a week. Although Dawneen wasn’t able to see the baby, she could talk to Amber about what to expect from NICU. We’re thrilled Amber’s baby is home and doing well, and her two big sisters are excited to do big sister things: feed her, change her clothes, and help give her a bath!

Amber is happy to be a part of our program. “One by One provides a lot of help in things you need for your baby.” She also is glad to have Dawneen as her mentor: “She’s wonderful. She does things for me she doesn’t have to do. She’s just wonderful!”

Meanwhile, Dawneen’s goal is to serve Amber well. “She’s precious. I know God matched us. She’s a great mom with a heart full of desire. I’ve been helping her find some resources she could use. She did not have WIC, which she qualifies for. One by One told her about a community baby shower. She went to that and was able to sign up for WIC there. She also won a gift basket at the shower! I’ve been trying to hold her accountable to follow-through on the things we discuss.”

Dawneen added that Amber is interested in becoming a nurse. Methodist Hospital, where Dawneen works, hosted a career education day. Amber was not able to attend because she was on bedrest, but Dawneen brought her information on nursing and Methodist’s education reimbursement program for consideration when Amber is ready to pursue a degree.

Dawneen says she’s thankful to have found One by One. “The mentor training is just great. You can tell so much thought went into the milestones pages in the Parent Pack – even down to the discipline and activities pages. I’m looking forward to talking to Amber about the milestones her baby will experience and completing these pages with her!”