11 Feb Adoptive Mom Sings Lullabies of Love in the NICU

Adoptive mom Claudia knows the favorite songs of most of the babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In fact, you can often find the professional singer singing lullabies to calm and soothe her daughter Thea and the other newborns nearby.

Since Thea was born in December 2024, at only 30 weeks gestation, Claudia has been able to spend most of her time at the hospital nurturing and singing to her miracle baby, rather than commuting more than an hour and 15 minutes each way, thanks to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central and Northern Arizona (RMHCCNAZ).

Claudia and her husband David turned to adoption after they were unable to conceive on their own. They felt lucky to be matched with a birth mother who was expected to deliver in February. But on December 6, the couple was awakened by urgent phone calls telling them to rush to the hospital.

Thea was born 10 weeks premature with hydrops, a condition where excessive fluid causes swelling throughout the body, and a dangerous form of anemia that depleted her red blood cells. Within hours, the tiny infant was transferred by helicopter to Banner Desert Medical Center for specialized care.

“That first day was terrifying,” David said. “We even had our priest come to the hospital to baptize and confirm her because we didn’t know if she’d survive.”

In the whirlwind of those early days, Claudia and David were introduced to RMHCCNAZ.

Initially staying in the hospital’s nesting room, they were quickly offered a homelike room at the Dobson House, located on the same campus as the hospital in Mesa. The close proximity enabled them to walk to Thea’s bedside whenever needed.

“It was such a relief,” Claudia said. “Especially in those first few weeks when everything was so uncertain. We live more than an hour away from the hospital, so being able to stay close made all the difference.”

For the adoptive couple, Ronald McDonald House became more than just a place to sleep. Volunteers provided warm, home-cooked meals and treats, easing some of their burden.

“It wasn’t just food,” Claudia explained. “It was comfort. It was community.”

As the weeks passed, Thea’s condition improved. Her swelling subsided, her red blood cell levels stabilized after multiple transfusions, and she grew stronger every day. In addition to singing to Thea, Claudia began holding her, feeding her and whispering daily affirmations: “You’re brave, you’re strong, you’re loved.”

The couple doesn’t yet know when Thea will be able to leave the hospital, but they remain optimistic.

“She’s still learning how to bottle-feed, but she’s doing so well,” David said. “Even the doctors call her a miracle baby.”

The adoptive parents are already planning ways to give back. Claudia, who sings as a church cantor, hopes to organize volunteer nights for the choir to cook meals at Ronald McDonald House.

“I told Thea we’re going to do a lot of volunteering when she’s older,” she said. “Ronald McDonald House has given us so much. It’s helped our dream of having a child become a reality.”

For now, they cherish every moment with Thea, their “gift from God,” as her name so fittingly means.

“We’re obsessed with her,” Claudia said with a smile. “She’s our world.”