Les Miserable – a musical based on a rather morose Victor Hugo novel about a group of young idealists making one last stand at the tail end of a failed French revolution. And I’m told it apparently makes a decent movie too. (It’s on my list to see.)
I have always liked the soundtrack. And it recently it occurred to me that the song, “One Day More” – sung by the ragtag gang of doomed boys – isn’t all that far off from the fight against prematurity.
And it is Prematurity Awareness Month after all.
Every parent facing this struggle against seemingly insurmountable odds creates a variant on this manta.
Just one day more.
- Let me stay pregnant one more day
- Let my child survive until tomorrow.
- How many more days before we can go home?
- What does tomorrow have in store?
One day more.
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Below are they lyrics to the song I’m referring too. I took a few liberties with it.
ME
One day more!
Another day, another destiny.
This never-ending road to be Mommy;
This pain that seems to know my fear
Will surely once again be here.
One day more!
PREEMIE BABY
I do not quite live today.
How can I live when we are parted?
ME
One day more.
PREEMIE BABY
Tomorrow you’ll be worlds away
And yet with you, my world has started!
Will we ever meet in-person?
I was born to be with you.
ME
What a life we might someday know.
And I swear I’ll be there for you!
NEONATOLOGIST
One more day before the storm!
At the precipice of viability.
PREEMIE BABY
Shall I join the NICU now?
Do I stay or do I dare?
NEONATOLOGIST
Nurse take your place with me!
ALL
The time is now, the day is here!
ME
One day more!
PULMONOLOGIST
One more day to intubation,
We will nip it in the bud!
GASTROENTEROLOGIST
I will monitor these babies
There will be no poop with blood!
ME
One day more!
GRANDPARENTS
Wait for ’em run amuck,
You’ll catch ’em when they fall,
Never know your luck
When you’ve born one oh so small,
Here a little `dip’
There a little `touch’
What a roller coaster
Won’t miss this at all!
NICU BABIES
One day to a new beginning
Raise the incubator lids!
Every boy will be a man
There’s a new world for the winning
There’s a new world to be won
ALL
Do you hear the parent’s prayers?
NICU NURSES
My place is here, I fight with you!
ME
One day more!
PREEMIE BABY
I do not quite live today.
How can I live when we are parted?
RSV
I will stalk the tiny heroes
I will follow where they go
I will haunt them as they grow,
I will make ‘em doubt the things they know.
ME
One day more!
Tomorrow we’ll be far away,
Tomorrow is the judgment day
ALL
Tomorrow we’ll discover
What our God in Heaven has in store!
One more dawn
One more day
One day more!
love this!