One year ago, during a thunderstorm, a first-time mom in Washington awoke when her water broke now this week she’s celebrating her son’s first birthday by paying it forward to other preemie families. Jenisa and Nathan Harris welcomed their son, Jaxson, on August 2nd, 2018, five weeks before his due date. The family spent 28 days in the hospital. Jenisa Harris is a children’s librarian at the Washington Public Library and is asking community members to donate clothes for families with preemie babies, “We had so many people love on us through this scary time when he was born. It’s a long 28 days for families, and we had a short stay compared to some of those families, they could be up there to a year. They have a great family lounge at the University of Iowa where there was treats brought to us, and just love from other families. And there was also a huge closet of onesies and outfits you can put them in, so you didn’t have to bring your own or worry about anything. There’s laundry there. So we’re asking, Jax has been blessed with so many toys and gifts over his short life, and so we thought to ask for donations of preemie onesies or outfits to donate to the University of Iowa in honor of Jaxson and just the love and care we received from those nurses and doctors.”

She adds that while at the hospital when Jaxson was hooked up to machines to help him breath and monitor his vital signs, there were days when the only thing she had control over as a mom was picking out what he was wearing. Jaxson is now nearly 25 pounds, happy and healthy, trying to walk.

Donations of new and gently used preemie clothes, and gifts for the family lounge may be dropped off at the library.