Newborn Hope helps local family with premature baby

At just 1 pound and 11 ounces, Henry Tuttle came into the world 26 weeks into his mother's pregnancy.

"That's the most stressed I've been because the thought over and over again, was, 'What are we going to do with a 26 weeker?'" Lisa Tuttle said.

Just days earlier, Lisa had a stabbing pain which she thought was indigestion. She was actually going into liver failure from what's known as HELLP syndrome.

"It went from everything being fine to 'we need to have this baby in 48 hours' to 'here he is,'" said Lisa's husband, Miles Tuttle.

Henry stayed in the hospital 117 days and was on oxygen for three months after he came home. Meanwhile, they tried to to keep life normal for big brother Ben.

"We had good support and we sought out support," said Lisa.

Support from their doctors, nurses and Newborn Hope.

Lisa said she's grateful for the recliners donated to the hospital by Newborn Hope. She said she and her family spent hundreds of hours in the chairs feeding and holding Henry. But, that first chance to hold him didn't come right away.

"We did get to hold him for the first time Christmas Eve and that was 9 days after his birth," she said.

Now the Tuttles are just happy to watch their little boy grow.

"We prayed for him and so wanted him, so it's really exciting just to see how good he's doing," Lisa said.

"Now he's just like a normal baby in most respects, so it's great to finally be in that place," Miles said.

Lisa said the lessons she's learned having a micro preemie baby help her in her job as a mother/baby nurse at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs. She said she works hard to encourage families as their babies recover from an early birth.

The Newborn Hope "Zoya's Footprints of Hope" luncheon and fashion show is Nov. 17 at the Broadmoor Resort. For more information click here:

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