Oklahoma Family Gives Back To NICU Through Noah's Project

<p>An Oklahoma family never celebrates Christmas until they've first paid a visit to the neonatal unit at OU Children's Hospital.&nbsp;</p>

Monday, December 25th 2017, 6:21 pm

By: News 9


An Oklahoma family never celebrates Christmas until they've first paid a visit to the neonatal unit at OU Children's Hospital. It's part of an annual project to celebrate the gift of life.

"It was the most difficult time in my life," said Cheri Bellefeuille-Gordon.

Her son Noah was born eight weeks premature. Unable to eat or breathe on his own, he was transported to the hospital in Oklahoma City.

"Looking at his little lifeless body you didn't know if he was going to make it for the next 24 hours," she recalls.

But after 17 days in the NICU, Noah survived. As a way to say thank you to the staff, she put together goodie bags to help prepare other families sent to the NICU.

"Going from one hospital to the next, you're not really ready for the baby to be born early," she said.

So Noah's Project became a yearly event where her community of Sulphur fills bags of donated items like toiletries, food, books and cameras. Then the family delivers the bags to the hospital for the families.

"Ever since I was able to walk and carry a bag, I've been delivering bags and I haven't stopped since," said Noah Gordon.

Now 21, Noah is healthy and attending college. He always takes time around his birthday to give back.

"They saved my life and without them I wouldn't be here today," he said.

Currently there are more than 90 babies being treated at the NICU and doctors say they couldn't do it without the support from the Children's Hospital Foundation and families like Noah's.

"They are dependent on technology to be alive," said Dr. Kris Sekar, the head of the NICU. "The resources that are required to operate a unit this large require not only technology, expertise but obviously the funding source."

The foundation continues to raise money to support treatment and research advances to provide care to the tiniest patients, like Noah once was.

"To see Noah after 21 years is so gratifying," said Dr. Sekar.

"We have always made sure that we go back to Children's Hospital to let them know we haven't forgotten them, that they impacted our lives for a lifetime," said Bellefeuille-Gordon.

This year Noah's Project celebrated 20 years by delivering 100 goodie bags to the families at the NICU. You can learn more about how to support the NICU by visiting the Children's Hospital Foundation at CHFkids.com.

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