When my son became blind, I gained the vision to reinvent my career
I was 28 years old, married with a 3-year-old son when our twins were born. It was a tough pregnancy that resulted in my doctor’s orders for complete bed rest at 4.5 months.
By the time John and Jocelyn were born at full-term, I planned to resume my financial journalism career six months after their birth. Yet, my priorities changed once the first twin, John, was born on a Monday evening with a condition known as gastroschisis. It is a term for babies born with intestines outside their bodies. Two minutes later, his twin sister, Jocelyn, arrived with temporary respiratory discomfort. By that time, my son was rushed away by doctors and nurses in critical condition.
The next morning I awoke to the good news that John’s surgeon saved his life. Three months later, he contracted meningitis and lost hearing in both ears. By the age of 8, he was fully blind after seven unsuccessful surgeries.
Shift happens
During John’s first few months of life, I knew my life would change drastically from the ideal career path that I worked smart to achieve. Seeing the numerous tubes in and through my newborn baby in his temporary home — Neonatal ICU — flipped a switch and the career script for me.
