We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Ward recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sarah, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
We were thrilled to be expecting twins in the spring of 2017. Unfortunately, I unexpectedly went into labor 3 months early. Our girls were born at a gestational age of 28 weeks and spent months in the Neonatal ICU (NICU). Because our babies were born early, we were unable to hold them for almost a week. When we could finally hold them it was only for a moment before they had to be returned to their isolette beds due to them not being able to regulate their temperature, breathing difficulties, and sensitivity to lights and sounds. During this time our nurses suggested reading to our children to connect with them.
Reading to babies in the NICU increases neurological development, reduces stress, soothes, and assists with parent/baby bonding. After learning these benefits we chose to read to our children daily. There stats typically did better when we read to them and thankfully we were able to bring our twins home after 78 days. Two years later we had a son who was born at 37 weeks who also needed time in the NICU due to fluid in his lungs and other respiratory issues. We once again brought out books to read to our baby when we were unable to hold him. This was the beginning of our Reading Through the NICU Program.
We wanted to give back to the amazing staff that took care of us during our hospital stays and we wanted to encourage other families in the NICU. We were limited on the amount of children’s books we could find based on this topic, so we decided to create our own. We partnered with Beads of Courage® to raise awareness for their encouraging healing through the arts message and crafted a book that is educational and encouraging. We started Little Ward Books LLC in the Spring of 2021 and published our first keepsake children’s book “Our NICU Journey” on World Prematurity Day (November 17, 2021). Since then we have accomplished book drives, Read-A-Thons, and are publishing our second title this spring 2023!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a mother of three who all experienced time in the NICU before coming home to thrive. I received a B.S. in public health and behavior from the University of Georgia and a specialist degree in dental hygiene from the Medical College of Georgia. I enjoy all things music, cooking, reading, being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends. I am also thankful for the opportunity to stay at home and enjoy her children while they are young.
Our family never planned to publish a book, but we found it to be the perfect way to give back to the NICU community and help others not feel alone. The NICU can be an isolating place and knowing you are not alone is paramount. During our hospital stay we received a book to read to each child and it was one of the most sentimental gifts we were given during that time.
As an advocate for families of premature birth and early literacy, we hope to support families on their own NICU journey and encourage reading to children with our Reading Through the NICU program. You can find more information about this program and our other books on our website, www.littlewardbooks.com, or find our on social media by searching for Reading Through the NICU.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I am not tech savvy and do not personally share a lot on social media, but creating our Reading Through the NICU pages has been an outlet for me to help others and share our story to let others know they are not alone. I have been able to connect with NICU families, providers, and organizations from around the world which is amazing! I am able to share a little about our journey which is healing, while also being able to provide some insight to what NICU life before and after looks like for some. I enjoy providing tips for parents of multiples, the NICU community, and for fellow authors. I also appreciate the bookstagram and reading community for sharing their love of reading to inspire literacy in younger ages.
If you are just starting out on social media, my best advice is to be authentic. Be passionate about your content with the best intentions for your audience at heart. Connect with others in your field and grow those connections. I am thankful to call many individuals I have met through social media my friends.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Self doubt is a thief. It will invade your thoughts to think you do not belong or cannot keep up with others in your field. As we started Little Ward Books and realized just how much time, effort, and money went into making our business, as well as a steep learning curve, and I often got discouraged. Each time doubt crept in, I remembered sitting in the NICU wishing for a book like ours to read to our children for comfort and encouragement. We looked everywhere for a book that made us feel like someone else just “got it” to lift us up. I looked for a keepsake to be able to record our milestones and care team’s names to cherish for years. Remembering how lost we felt reminded me that we needed to create this book. Launching our book on World Prematurity Day for preemie and full term NICU families was a rewarding way to give back and the feedback we have received since has been humbling. Always remember to persevere and never give up!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.:LittleWardBooks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah_immonen_ward_author
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlewardbooks
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin/in/readingthroughthenicu
Image Credits
Image of children holding book- by Stacey Laviolette Mock up- by Arlene Soto with Intricate Designs