Graham's Foundation Announces New NICU Ambassador Program Director
Jennifer Mayberry will take over the organization's on-the-ground awareness and support program
Waterville, OH, July 6, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Graham’s Foundation (http://GrahamsFoundation.org) recently announced that preemie mom Jennifer Mayberry is taking on the role of NICU Ambassador Program Director. Graham’s Foundation NICU Ambassadors are parents of preemies who serve as on-the-ground representatives of the organization at both their local NICUs and in the community, helping raise awareness of the non-profit's programs and connecting with preemie parents who need more support.
Jennifer had her first daughter, Jillian, at 36 weeks due to preeclampsia and her second daughter, Juliana, at 29 weeks after being diagnosed with full-blown HELLP Syndrome. That's when she discovered Graham's Foundation.
“My mom ordered a care package and I cried when I received it because it felt like the first time someone had said congratulations,” Jennifer said. “Someone was telling us, yes, your situation is hard and scary but you have a baby and you can celebrate that. It felt so personal and I still have everything to this day.”
Jennifer eventually met the Graham’s Foundation team and felt like she’d found her home. First, she got involved as a very active NICU Ambassador. Then she hosted a Parents of Preemies Day event. So when founder and president Nick Hall asked her if she wanted to head up the NICU Ambassador Program, it was an easy decision. Jennifer is currently a stay-at-home mom but was previously an RN and said that is a big motivating factor in her decision to step into the role.
“Hospitals should be seeing us as a support program for parents so we can take some of that off their plates,” she said. “Having a background in acute care and then being thrown into a medical environment was eye opening. When I was sitting in the NICU with Juliana, I could see beyond the monitors. I saw the parents and I saw the nurses, who can feel as deeply as the parents. I could see all the perspectives. That made me want to push to create a better NICU environment. This is one way to do that.”
As NICU Ambassador Program Director, Jennifer plans to unite the parents working under her to streamline the program so Graham’s Foundation becomes an asset more hospitals are using and more parents are getting support. Her secondary goal involves fundraising – not just for Graham's Foundation but also for events and for families who are struggling with the financial sacrifices that having a preemie in the NICU can involve.