This two-part series focuses on the physical, emotional and financial costs of having premature babies. It follows the experiences of Adrienne and Dave Nash, an Austin couple who had three premature children. Medical costs forced them to file for bankruptcy. Their relationship became severely strained. Adrienne experienced serious depression and continues to struggle with the trauma of watching her children nearly die.
During the reporting phase of this project, we discovered the fallacy of the Miracle Baby Myth. Most news article that focus on tiny babies end with that child going home perfectly healthy. What they do not talk about is that child’s continuing medical needs, the stress on the family and the mental health problems that arise because of it. We also discovered a severe lack of mental health care for parents of premature infants, leading to depression, bonding problems, and, in the most severe cases, child abuse.