- Thanks to the efforts of the NICU team at a hospital in North Carolina, Abby Williford survived as a premature baby.
- The now 18-year-old weighed only 1.2 kg at birth and spent 91 days in the intensive care unit.
- Since then, Abby has been giving back – in the form of gifts, but also through volunteer work.
When Abigail Williford was born far too early 18 years ago, Their fight for survival immediately began. After only 30 weeks of pregnancy and weighing just under 1.2 kilograms, she spent her first 91 days of life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital in North Carolina. This time was formative for Abby and her mother Kimberly: “The NICU was their home – and the staff became our family.”
Today, Abby is a healthy high school senior at a prestigious science school. But she has never forgotten her beginnings: every year on her birthday she returns to the clinic with cake and a lot of gratitude in her luggage.
“Every birthday is special”
The visits have become a permanent tradition for the family. “I know that many premature babies don’t make it this far,” says Abby. “That’s why every birthday is special for me and shows me what the doctors and nurses have made possible.”
In addition to the visits, the 18-year-old is also involved as a volunteer herself: she has already helped out for more than 75 hours in the emergency room, cardiac rehabilitation and the hospital’s cancer center. Her superiors describe her as committed, empathetic and inspiring. “She makes patients smile,” says an employee. “You immediately feel that she wants to help.”
Career ambition clear: Abby becomes a doctor
The experiences from her first days of life also shape her plans for the future. Abby wants to start studying biology and public health in the fall so that she can become a doctor herself. For her mother, this is no coincidence: “This story shaped her. She has sharpened her compassion and perspective.”
Have any formative experiences from your childhood or youth influenced your current goals and attitudes?
For the Williford family, one thing is certain: without the commitment of the NICU teams, none of this would have been possible. “We are forever grateful for the hands that held our daughter in the beginning,” says mother Kimberly. “Today we can see how she goes her own way.”
Benedikt Hollenstein (bho) has been at 20 minutes since 2021. He writes for the news desk and also takes on day management shifts there.
