The Strolight Family Story

As told by Melissa Strolight:

It was 13 years ago when my water broke after only 28 weeks of pregnancy. I was ill with a severe stomach flu, and with my 16-month-old son, Nolan, at home and my husband, Tomer, away on business, the timing couldn’t have been worse. I was air-lifted to a hospital in Kingston where I spent four agonizing days away from Nolan and unsure of the future for my yet-to-be-born baby.

My mother, Susan, felt strongly that I needed to be at Mount Sinai Hospital. Having had all three of her own children there, and knowing the Hospital’s expertise in high-risk pregnancies, she would not give up until I was transferred. From the moment I arrived, I knew I was in the right place.

On February 27, two days after arriving at Mount Sinai, our daughter Cameryn was born. She was 10 weeks early, weighing only two pounds and five ounces. She required expert care in Mount Sinai’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) from the outset: she was immediately placed on a ventilator because she wasn’t breathing; and she had an infection that urgently required antibiotics. It all seemed too much for such a tiny baby to handle, but the care she received was extraordinary and got her (and us) through it all.

There were many acts of kindness that I still recall: that they didn’t rush to discharge me from the hospital (I was still a patient myself) because they knew I wanted to be with Cameryn; or when, one day, the nurses dressed Cameryn up in pretty clothes to surprise me. They helped us take an active role in her care and prepared us for when it was time to take her home. That day finally came on May 1st, after over two months in the NICU. 

“Our daughter Cameryn was born 10 weeks early, weighing only two pounds and five ounces. She required expert care in Mount Sinai’s NICU from the outset. It’s wonderful to be able to say thank you, especially after all these years. We think about them often, and are grateful every day.”

Fast forward to 2014, Cameryn is now a thriving 13-year-old girl with a sharp mind and a big heart. Our family recently watched videos of our time in the NICU, and all of us, including Cameryn, were deeply moved by how the hospital truly saved her life. As a result, my parents, Susan and Ron, who are so proud of Cameryn and Nolan and continue to feel profound gratitude toward Mount Sinai, donated $66,000 for the purchase of a ventilator in the NICU. In my mother’s words: “We chose a ventilator because it helps to preserve the life of fragile little babies like Cameryn. It helps them survive. That’s what we wanted to do.”

In addition, Cameryn is now leading a wonderful, family-run fundraising initiative called Pump it for Preemies, a kid's dance-a-thon to raise funds for Mount Sinai's NICU. Their goal is to raise $60,000 to purchase another ventilator and save the lives of even more fragile babies.

For me, these gifts to Mount Sinai mean so much. It’s wonderful to be able to say thank you, especially after all these years. We think about them often, and are grateful every day.