Miss Universe Guyana contestant places spotlight on the challenges faced by NICU moms

Sep 01, 2024 Features / Columnists, News

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By Shania Williams

Kaieteur News – In the world of motherhood, few experiences are as emotionally and physically demanding as those faced by mothers with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). These mothers often navigate an intricate maze of medical jargons, sleepless nights, and uncharted emotional territory, yet, they embody a resilience and dedication that is nothing short of extraordinary.

An NICU stay can arise from various circumstances—premature birth, complications during delivery, or health conditions affecting the newborn. For NICU moms, each day brings a blend of hope and uncertainty. The NICU environment, with its beeping monitors and constant bustle, contrasts sharply with the serene, idealized vision many have of the early days of motherhood.

Without a doubt, this journey was not easy for Imarah Radix a 38-year single mother who delivered her son William six weeks premature via emergency C-section at Woodlands Hospital.

Her complications arose after her 30-pound Siberian husky accidentally jumped on her pregnant belly. “After giving birth, my son William was then transferred to GPHC that same day. On the 13th of December we were medically evacuated via air lift stopping in San Juan Puerto Rico then onto Miami Florida where he received lifesaving care at Jackson Memorial Hospital and Holtz Children’s Hospital.”

“He could not feed nor breathe on his own. He was on a ventilator 100 %. We spent Christmas and new years in the NICU. Since then, my son has made a remarkable recovery as his issues began to resolve completely,” Radix recounted.

As a result, the single mother returned to Guyana five months later to pursue her pageantry journey. Radix’s story was catapulted into the local spotlight when she was sashed ‘Miss East Berbice Corentyne’ in this year’s Miss Universe Guyana competition.

Her platform was based on improving maternal health, specifically for NICU mothers and their infants. Radix expressed great gratitude and honor for making a comeback by entering the pageant as a NICU mom.

However, the balancing act between caring for a newborn and preparing for a competition is no a small feat; Radix was nevertheless able to conquer both roles with support from her mom and pageant coach. “I have a great support system in my mother who assists in caring for my son and a nanny who helped to care for my son during the pageant.  I was working with my phenomenal pageant coach Alicia Bess Anderson, eating healthily, training and preparing for all aspects of the pageant whilst balancing my new role as a first time mom. I took William everywhere with me as much as possible… No one is better at multitasking and time management than us moms!” Radix proudly said.

She told The Waterfalls that she wanted to share her story and experience in order to arouse public consciousness. The single mom said that the Miss Universe platform gave her that opportunity to build awareness and inspire hope for mothers like herself.

She shared with this magazine her experience of being NICU mom as the most traumatic experience. “I did not know what NICU was like until my baby and I faced it alone. It is incredibly scary and sad but it can be incredibly hopeful and teaches you resilience and strength beyond comprehension,” Radix confessed.

Although she did not win the competition, her platform has helped her afterwards to do meaningful work with mothers and their babies.

She continued to raise awareness via social media, YouTube Channel, radio and television. Through this initiative she raised money and donated care packages to mothers going through NICU at the Georgetown Public Hospital, who need vital supplies for themselves and their babies.

She said ‘I donated breast pumps, nipple guards, toys, bottles, diapers, belly bands and many other items. I also put together with my own hands the improved seating for the NICU parent waiting area and installed them for use right away.”

Radix has also created an online and in person support group for current moms in the critical care NICU unit where they engage in infant CPR classes, continuous donations, sharing of resources, funding and mental health support for each other.

RAISING FUNDS

Life as a NICU mom for Radix can be challenging.  Facing a bitter sweet moment during the pageant, William experienced a seizure. She recalled, “He had a full whole body seizure in my arms it instantly went from a moment of joy to a moment of sheer terror. He is now only 8 months old. We took him for an EEG (electroencephalogram) where the brain electrical activity is monitored and it returned a result showing myoclonic seizures but they couldn’t tell me why.”

Radix explained that there was no pediatric neurologist available that specializes in that condition.  She sought a local neurologist where he was found with a cyst in his brain which causes his seizures to occur.

Radix highlight, “This is an example of what being in NICU is like. Some days your baby seems to improve and then lots more conditions or issues may be found so it’s up and down and you just never know what is going to happen.”

The single mom is now aiming to transfer her son to the United States to see a pediatric neurologist for advanced treatment. Hence she created a GoFundMe page seeking donations to support her medical care.

If anyone would like to donate or get in touch with Radix, they can contact the number (592)676-7326 or email [email protected].

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• GoFundMe, Imarah Radix, Mothers, NICU, William Radix

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