Hi! My name is Amanda Arline
Renison Cooper, but my parents usually call me Manda. I was born
on Sunday, 6/23/96 at 1:27 p.m. I weighed 3 lbs. 1 1/2 oz. and was
15 1/2 inches long - a preemie! I spent 38 days in a Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit (NICU) and finally came home to live with my family on 7/31/96
- 5 weeks before I was even supposed to be born!
Despite my early birth, I was very
lucky to avoid most of the serious complications of prematurity - I was
known in the NICU as a "feeder-grower" - meaning that once my initial respiratory
distress subsided, I was basically there till I was big and strong enough
to go home.
I'm now just about
20 months old, 23+ lbs, and 33+ inches tall!!! I spend most of my
time playing,which includes pulling things off shelves, poking at our cats,
spilling food and generally being a toddler. I am very verbal, saying
60+ words and some phrases, and my Dad is already planning my first solo
performance of Old MacDonald!
Click on the bear faces below to see photos of me!
For photos of my NICU and other early days!
For photos of me at 0-1 years of age!
For photos of me at 1-2 years of age!
You might be thinking that my parents gave
me a pretty long name for someone born so small, but my names have some
special meanings.
Here's the history of my given names:
-
Amanda - means "worthy of love" or "beloved"
- and my family absolutely agrees!
-
Arline is the given name of my maternal
grandmother, my special "angel" who sadly died four months before I was
born, but who I've been told was estatic over the prospect of my birth
(and hoped I would be a girl)! (To see our memorial, click here:
-
Renison is the family name of my paternal
grandmother, Nancy, and the married name of my paternal great-grandmother
Kathleen (Kay), who I the good fortune to visit in Florida in June 1997
when I was just 1 year old and she was 92!
 My
Story
I was born early due to my Mom's pre-eclampsia
and HELLP Syndrome. Mom was hospitalized on bedrest for 6 days before I
was born, but then became too sick and they had to deliver me by C-section.
Mom was given some steriods while on bedrest, to strengthen my lungs for
my anticipated early birth. They must
have helped, because I was only on a vent for 2 days, and then went to
a C-Pap and cannula for a total of 2 weeks.
I was lucky enough to avoid most of the serious
problems many preemies face. Still, being a preemie was hard onall
of us, and it's important for parents of preemies to get lots of information
and support. There is some of both here on
the Web. For information on pre-eclampsia and HELLP Syndrome, contact
the HELLP Syndrome
Society. For emotional and general
support, try contacting the Preemie-L
Discussion Forum, the American
Association for Premature Infants, or visit the CyberNursery,
to share your story with other parents of
preemies who have been there - that's often the best help thereis!
Thanks for visiting! Come back again soon
to see more recent photos!
To e-mail me in care of my parents, click here:
To Return to the Cooper Family Home Page, click
here: 
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Visit 
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These beautiful graphics were designed by Lady Debbie:
This page composed by Meigan F.
Cooper, Feb. 1998
Last modified on 3/2/98 |
