Event
Being My Child's Protector, Advocate, and Decision-Maker in the NICU
February 27, 2025 at 8:00 PM ET
Watch an archived recording of this event
Anticipating the birth of a child can be one of the happiest times for parents. But when babies have life-threatening medical issues and begin their lives in the NICU, everything can change. For some parents, this may mean navigating a new role: learning how to navigate the NICU and communicate with the medical team; figuring out what matters most to their baby and family; considering intense medical interventions, interpreting medical jargon; seeking clarity in the absence of a clear prognosis; building a trusting relationship with the baby’s medical team.
During this event, Dr. Monica Lemmon was joined by a group of experienced NICU parents to explore effective strategies to build helpful parent-clinician alliance and parental confidence in decision-making for the newborn in the NICU. The parents shared insights on what proved helpful—and what didn’t—during their own NICU journeys.
Our Panel
Dr. Monica Lemmon - Pediatric Neurologist
Dr. Monica Lemmon is a child neurologist and researcher at Duke University School of Medicine who studies how parents and clinicians partner to make decisions for infants and children.
Ashley Ham - Co-Founder and Executive Director of Dear NICU Mama
Ashley Ham is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Dear NICU Mama, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing hope and community for mothers navigating the challenges of NICU parenthood. Ashley's journey began after her son was born at 28 weeks, immersing her into the isolating and emotional world of the NICU. Longing for a connection with others who truly understood, Ashley discovered the transformative power of peer support over a cup of coffee with another NICU mom. That single conversation sparked the vision for Dear NICU Mama, which she co-founded in 2019. Today, Ashley leads the organization with passion and purpose, ensuring no NICU mom has to walk this journey alone.
Allison Moise - Peer Support Coordinator
Allison Moise is a mom to an incredible 7 year old son who was born with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE). Allison graduated with her bachelors of social work from Salem State University in 2013 and went on to work in the adolescent residential setting for a few years. When her son was born in 2017, it became apparent that he would have a bumpy road ahead and was going to need Allison's full attention. At this time Allison decided to leave the social work field and work part time in the restaurant industry. After feeling so isolated, Allison connected and found a community with Hope for HIE. A few years later Allison began volunteering as a peer support mentor and is now hired as the Peer Support Coordinator and the Clinical trial lead Peer support mentor. She wants to ensure that no family has to face an HIE diagnosis alone regardless of their child's outcome. She utilizes her education and personal experiences to help other parents connect and not feel alone in their journey. Allison also sits on the membership committee for the Pediatric Cortical Visual Impairment society.
Ashley O'Neil, CRNP
Ashley O’Neil is a writer and speaker who channels her experiences into healing, having navigated the challenges of being a NICU/Preemie mother, a widow and a loss mom. During the midst of her healing journey, she found her calling: to uplift NICU families by offering hope, encouragement, and essential resources. She has over a decade of nursing experience and five years as a family nurse practitioner. Ashley's first published work will be It's a NICU World. She candidly discusses the highs and lows of being a NICU mom on her podcast, “Ask a NICU Mama" found at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ask-a-nicu-mama-podcast. Her ultimate mission is to demonstrate that even in the darkest times, there is always a glimmer of hope; sometimes, we just need to seek it out.
