Katy Freeman, 39, was a senior leader at a healthcare company when she unexpectedly delivered her son, Ollie, at only 26 weeks pregnant. The next four months included a lengthy hospital stay for Freeman, a trying NICU journey for Ollie − and work. Freeman's employer, she said, shipped her laptop to her in the hospital.
These are the kinds of stories USA TODAY heard from caregivers around America.
Readers responded to The Cost of Care survey sharing how caregiving has changed them and their lives. USA TODAY launched the survey in May, asking readers about caregiving challenges and solutions they'd like to see in the care space.
"I went back to work at eight weeks postpartum, even though I was still in the hospital six weeks postpartum due to complications," Freeman, from Aurora, Colorado, wrote. "I had to work because losing my insurance wasn’t an option. Ollie was in the NICU for four months, and I visited him every day on my lunch break."
As part of The Cost of Care project, over the last six months, USA TODAY has shared stories from caregivers exploring the mental health impacts of caregiving; what happens when an aging parent needs more help than you can give; parents' fears of what will happen to their disabled children when they're gone; and how language barriers in the health field leave some family caregivers without respite.
