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Meet Lynette Ellis
Born June 29, 2026
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Lynette Ellis was born at 25 weeks gestation. At first, there were no signs of complications outside of prematurity. In time, she had problems making platelets, and began to suffer from B.P.D (Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia), Tracheaomalacia, severe reflux and signs of retinal disease.
In the beginning the experience was frightening for Lynette's mother Norma. But she turned those feelings around. She was determined to learn all that she could in order to take part in her daughter's healing and growing process. For three months Norma rode the bus and subway to visit her baby at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia. When the baby was transferred to St. Christopher's, another area hospital, Norma was able to stay with her child.
There was much to learn and at times there were feelings of helplessness and frustration. Not having your questions answered and seeing your child attached to complicated medical machines to help her survive took its toll. The NICU experience became too much and Norma felt like she would fall apart. This was her only child, she was single, and due to her complicated pregnancy, her employer could not guarantee her job. Norma was trying to do everything on her own. A social worker at Hahnemann Hospital recommended the Pettaway Pursuit Foundation as a way to get support. The Pettaway Pursuit Foundation's president, Theresa Pettaway, visited Norma and Lynette twice a week and assisted Norma when Lynette came home for the first time. The Pettaway Pursuit Foundation made sure Mother and baby had all they needed.
"I urge all parents of preemies to get into a support group. The experiences of having a preemie will in time become very scary, overwhelming and exhausting. I know that at one point, I thought I could do this alone. I just kept saying "this is my child and her needs come first." I did not think about my own feelings. After weeks of bottling up so much frustration, I came to realize that it was OK to ask for help. And if I didn't get the help I so much needed, I was not going to be any good for my daughter."
"Theresa, thank you for all you have done for me this past year. You helped me pull through a very long and stressful year. You are always in our hearts."
Lots of Love,
Norma and Lynette
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The Pettaway Pursuit Foundation invites you to send your preemie photos and stories.
Help us to populate this space with all your tiny miracles. If you are the parent of a preemie or know a preemie and would like them featured here, please send us a photo and a short story about them. Please send us an email.
Please note that your photos will solely be used on this site by The Pettaway Pursuit Foundation. Photos will not be used for promotion of any kind outside of this website by the organization. If submitting your photos via mail, your photos will not be returned. Thank you for your cooperation.
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