Family Turns Grief Into Beacon Of Light For Babies Fighting To Live In NICU.

Sometimes light can come from even the darkest moments in life.

Kimberly and Aaron Novod know what it’s like to have a child fighting for their life in the NICU. It’s an emotional experience for all parents, but what the Novod family will always remember about Saul’s time in the NICU is the community support they received.

Saul was born prematurely in 2014 at 28-weeks and six days old. While his parents knew it could be months before they could bring him home, his health began to change rapidly. After 26 days in the NICU, his short life came to an end.

“To be with your child and never know if today is going to be the last day, is not something you can imagine,” Kimberly said.

One year after Saul passed away, Kimberly and Aaron decided to create an organization to honor the short life of their beloved son, aptly named Saul’s Light. According to their website, their mission is “to ease the financial and emotional burden of having a child in the NICU (or losing a child) for other parents.”

“Our work is really about the love of a parent for their child,” Kimberly shared on Facebook. “We commit to supporting you through either bringing your NICU babies home or having to leave the hospital without your angel. We dedicate our resources to getting you to the hospital to hold your baby and read to them. We promise to work with local hospitals to ensure that all families have equal access to resources and information.”

In addition to supporting families, Saul’s Light is also committed to raising awareness about the challenges of preterm birth and the needs of NICU babies and children. September was named NICU Awareness Month in the state of Louisiana recently – something the organization celebrated on Facebook. 

Three years after Saul passed away, Kimberly gave birth to a little girl, Josephine. She has no doubt been a great source of joy as they continue to heal from the loss of their first child and honor his memory through helping others.

“I will always remember seeing him for the very first time,” Kimberly shared. “The wonder of him. His beautiful face. His tiny hands. His nose that looked just like mine. We named him Saul which means ‘prayed for.'”

Saul’s short life has been an inspiration for many, something that will continue on through his family and the Saul’s Light Foundation.

Share Saul’s story to remind a friend that there can be light after darkness.