Saul’s Light Families
Meet our families
Our families are the picture of stories of hope and resilience. Hearing our families’ personal journies and how we can help keeps us grounded in the work we do every day.
My baby's name us Michael Bushell. He was born and placed in NICU at Touro Hospital for a week. Saul's Light assisted me financially through cashapp and a gift card to Walmart. They also provided me information to diaper banks, Healthy Start, breastfeeding help, and a peer mentor. Saul's Light is an important resource for NICU families because it provides support for the unexpected.
My baby came early and I was not prepared with anything. Because of their help I was able to get the essential necessities for my son. People should support and raise awareness for Saul's Light to let families know there's help available. I learned of them from the DePaul's Navigator. Saul's Light eased a lot of immediate stress for us and allowed me to focus on and attend to my son while he was in NICU.
- Niquitta
My name is Sophia Rachal and my sons name is Luke Rachal. He was born December 28, 2022 at 33 1/2 weeks gestation. He was in the NICU at Cabrini in Alexandria for 42 days. He was struggling to drink his bottles which is the reason for his stay. On February 8, 2023 he finally came home.
I think Saul's Light is important for NICU parents because having a baby in the NICU is hard mentally, physically and emotionally. Saul's Light should be known about more because everyone deserves to get a little help while their baby is in the NICU and I appreciate the help they gave us !
- Sophia
My baby Journi Kinsey was born on 01/23/2023 at St. Mary's Hospital in Shreveport, LA. She was transferred to The Children Hospital New Orleans on 01/25/2023
Saul's Light has assisted me and my family with help to travel back and forth to see Journi. Allowing me to speak to another parent who has gone through a similar experience like me.
Saul's Light is an important resource for NICU families because when families are experiencing difficulties times they have different ways to help and provide some support for those families in need.
- Qunika
Hi I'm Jalisa and my beautiful daughter's name is Layla Saint Amant, she was born Jan 28, 2023 at 33 weeks at Tulane Lakeside Hospital, it was hard leaving her once I was released from the hospital due to her being premature, Now she has blossomed.
The Saul's Light family were a big help and currently still are with their assistance, providing me with great resources and much support mentally. I'm truly grateful.
- Jalisa
We are currently in NICU at Our Lady of the Lakes Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge.
Saul’s Light has assisted us with funds to help with gas to visit our baby girl and also gave us a gift card that helped us give our older child Christmas.
Saul’s Light is such an important resource for all NICU families as it not only helps with funds for families in difficult times but it also brings awareness to everyone on all the different things families go through with having a baby in the NICU.
- Kristen
I found out that Cohen has Down syndrome on the day he was born.
We found out too that day that he was going to need open heart surgery. He was able to be with me in my room for an hour or two, then went to the NICU because of his sugar levels. He stayed there for seven days. Just a week, but also an eternity.
I needed someone, a mom, who had been in similar shoes to walk with me and help pull me through to the “other side”. The side where the NICU, surgeries, many appointments, and the emotional roller coaster are now behind you. Someone to celebrate the little things, encourage me, and remind me that I’m not alone. Someone who naturally becomes a friend because of our similar journeys.
Now that I’m on the other side, I get to be a NICU peer mentor volunteer with Saul’s Light. I get to be the someone that a mom going through a really hard time needs. It’s an honor, truly.
- Wendy
My son was born at 27 weeks and spent over 3 months in the NICU. During this challenging time, my husband and I were introduced to Saul's Light. This organization offered unconditional support to us as parents, and truly helped me cope on some days that just felt so isolating and difficult to push through. Post-NICU, this organization has been helpful in providing opportunities for me to meet other moms who had similar birth experiences, making me feel supported and hopeful.
Saul’s Light gave me a journal as part of a gift they made for all of the parents in their pods in the NICU. It encouraged me to start writing a little bit again, which has been helpful for my own processing. A few different times, people from the organization would walk through and stop by my son’s pod to ask if I wanted company, which made me feel cared for and seen. They always knew what to say, especially in those moments that felt impossible after receiving disappointing or distressing news. They also frequently provided a selection of children’s books to choose from as you walked into the unit. You could take those books home after reading to your baby. We still have many of those books to this day and can now read them before putting our son to bed.
- Christine
Amani was born 11 weeks early at Touro Hospital where she stayed in the NICU for 7 weeks. Amani was born 2 pounds 4 oz; however, 5 months later, I had a nice 12-pound baby.
Saul's Light was a program I was put in connection with through the nurses – they prepared me with a peer counselor that I was able to talk to when I was nervous, having high emotions, or just had a question that I wasn't sure about and needed to ask.”
- Leandrea
Jones was at Children’s Hospital for his NICU experience and was there for a month. Saul’s Light is a great resource because they help you to recognize that you’re not alone in your journey. Sauls Light is an important resource and awareness should be raised about the great work they’ve done because there are a lot of families that feel alone while going through the NICU process and are often surrounded by people who haven’t had a NICU experience and you need a village.
Saul’s Light created a safe space for my family to share and express our losses and our victories in relation to our NICU experience. Sauls Light is necessary!
- Demetrius
Para mi es un gusto poder servir como mentora con Saul's Light todo gracias a la capacitación que recibimos de mentoras y ya estamos poniendo en práctica lo aprendido.
Pienso que ser mentoras de pares es un servicio mutuo porque ambas personas hablan sus experiencias así que estoy feliz de poder apoyar a otras mamás que recién están pasando su proceso en el NICU.
Gracias siempre por la confianza, lo hago de todo corazón!
- Kemberly
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For me it is a pleasure to be able to serve as a mentor with Saul's Light all thanks to the training we received from mentors and we are already putting what we have learned into practice.
I think that being a peer mentor is a mutual service because both people talk about their experiences so I am happy to be able to support other moms who are just going through their process in the NICU.
Thank you always for the trust, I do it with all my heart!
- Kemberly