BUFFALO, N.Y. — Being a first time parent is hard for anyone, but it's especially difficult for low-income families without a good support system. But there is support out there, and one resource in particular is Catholic Health's program called the Nurse Family Partnership.
But that program is in desperate need of funding to continue helping moms and babies in Western New York.
Brittany Pettigrew of Niagara Falls is a fighter. While she was pregnant with her son Bryson, she lost her foot due to complications from diabetes.
"I want to be able to show my son that anything you can set your mind to you can do," she said. "Being an amputee, my biggest goal is I don't want anything to make me feel defeated."
Nurse Becky Kucharczak has been by Brittany's side giving her the support she needs.
"It's really the best nursing job I've ever had," said Kucharczak.
She's part Catholic Health's Nurse-Family Partnership. Nurses are paired with low-income first-time moms-to-be, and they do frequent home visits during the pregnancy and stay with mom until baby is 2 years old.
"We teach them all about pregnancy, being healthy, making sure they're getting to their doctors appointments, hook them up with any resources they might need like mental house counseling, going back to school for their GED, getting them on the lists for housing," said Kucharczak.
Catholic Health CEO Joyce Markiewicz says 400 moms in Erie and Niagara Counties have been part of the program since Catholic Health implemented it 5 years ago.
"The Nurse Family Partnership is a really unique program. I would say it is the gold standard of programs," said Markiewicz. "The goal of the program is to get these moms prepared, let them gain confidence, have a good understanding of their role as a mother, and provide them with the tools that they need to help make sure the baby gets a good start in life."
Nationwide, the program has actually existed for 45 years and the results have been carefully tracked.
"For the moms, they show an 82 percent improvement rate in being employed after they've gone through this program. Statistics for the children are measured up to adulthood. Most of these kids, they're less likely to be incarcerated, more likely to graduate from high school. The results are really incredible," said Markiewicz.
But there's one problem: the Nurse-Family Partnership is totally grant funded, and that funding is running out.
"Here we have a proven program that really does work for moms and babies, yet there's no funding for this program," said Markiewicz.
Markewicz says she's committed to finding a way to keep the program afloat, so more new moms and babies like Brittany and Bryson can continue to thrive, thanks to the bond with their nurse.
"She's really reaching her goals and she's a great mom," said Kucharczak of Brittany.
"It makes you feel like there is someone out there that can relate, that understands, that is willing to go above and beyond to help you," said Brittany.
Saturday night, Catholic Health is holding it's annual gala, and all the donations made in the raise the paddle portion of program will benefit the Nurse-Family Partnership. WGRZ's Melissa Holmes and Patrick Hammer are honored to serve as the emcees for that event.
To learn more about Catholic Health's Nurse-Family Partnership, click here.