Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Hospital
My great grandniece, Reece Balcerzak came into this world as an early Christmas present for her parents, Katie and Keifer Balcerzak, and even though her arrival was a scary one, the gift they were given was so precious to them. They spent that Christmas in the neonatal unit of Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado, where Reece received amazing care and grew to be the size of a full-term baby, so she could go home on January 29, 2017, and life settled down…well, as much as it can with a newborn. Since that time, Reece has shown the world just what a spunky girl she is. She is full of energy and laughter, and her smile just lights up your heart 
when you see it. Being born prematurely was not going to slow this little girl down one bit. She couldn’t wait to get born and she can’t wait to experience all that life has to offer.
These days, Reece is big sister to her brother, Aysa and she loves him dearly. Aysa is almost Reece’s mini-me…at least where his smile is concerned. Reece has been a big sister for over two years now, and none of us can believe that time has flown by so fast. Reece is such a loving girl, and she truly showers her brother and everyone she cares about with much love. She is a joy to be around and fills their home with happiness. Reece also loves her cousin, Max 
Herr, and her other cousins, which are numerous. She loves spending time with aunts, uncles, cousins, and especially grandparents.
She is very active, very social, and she is having a great time is Kindergarten this year. This year found Reece learning to ride a horse. She had such a good time, and who knows, maybe we have an equestrienne in our family. She has also taken dance lessons, played t-ball, and she is an all-around girly girl. Reece is a girl with many talents and just as many likes and dislikes. Mostly she likes many things and many people. And everyone loves Reece. Reece is totally able to entertain anyone with her antics, especially the other kids. Today is Reece’s 6th birthday. Happy birthday Reece!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My great grandniece, Reece Balcerzak Had a harsh beginning to her life. She was born two months prematurely and spent a couple of months in Denver at Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Hospital. She had some growing to do and they had to get her to where she would have been if she had not been born early. Through it all this feisty little girl persevered and obediently grew. Soon (60 days to be exact) Reece was discharged, and since then, she has grinned, laughed, and smiled her way into the hearts of all who know her. For me, her biggest gift is the gift of a smile. In fact, she is almost never seen without one. She wears it like most people wear clothes…as a vital part of her apparel. What a cheerful blessing that is.
Reece is always busily participating in something. She has played T-Ball and played in the fall leaves with her little brother, Aysa Balcerzak, and most recently, she took on swimming. She loves swimming, and in fact she recently received a Certificate of Achievement in swimming…something she is very proud of. Learning to swim is no small feat, and we are very proud of her. While there is no Certificate of Achievement for being a great big sister, Reece has certainly mastered that skill. Reece was so excited to become a big sister, and her little brother loves his big sister very much. He is always happy to spend time with her, and she loves making him feel very happy.
These days, Reece has a new habit…thumbs up. It fits her to a tee. For Reece, it’s all a part the positivity that is Reece. Maybe it comes from the fight that started immediately after she was born, I don’t know, but nothing gets her down. She is always happy, energetic, and full of life. The gift of her smile is something that is truly a gift. It fills her face with joy and lights up the room for everyone around her. I just can’t say enough about what a sweet girl our little Reece is. She is in school these days and doing very well. I know she is well liked, because who can resist such a wonderful smile. And who can resist such a positive attitude. Little Reece makes those around her smile. It is her gift to others. Today is Reece’s 5th birthday. Happy birthday Reece!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My great grand niece, Reece Victoria Renae Balcerzak is a little girl who has coma a long way is just one year. Looking back on her first year of life can take her family from the deepest fear of loss to the greatest thrill of victory. Reece was originally due February 17, 2018, but on December 1, 2017, things went wrong in a scary way. While Reece’s parents, Katie and Keifer, were sitting on the couch talking about the future and the precious little life Katie was carrying, her water broke. They rushed to the hospital, where the staff prepared them for a ride in an ambulance to the airport, and a trip on Life Flight to Denver where they were taken to Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Hospital. They had such different plans for this time in their lives.
On October 5, 2017, Katie and Keifer found out that their bundle of joy was going to be a girl. They couldn’t have been more excited, and now on December 1, 2017, they couldn’t have been more scared. After all, Katie was just 28 weeks pregnant. Birth now was just too soon. Keifer later wrote, “Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Hospital has been an 
amazing place. The Doctors and Nurses are top notch and treat us like normal human beings. We have been told that they hope to keep Katie pregnant for another 5 weeks before she will be induced. However, it’s very scary because with her water being broken we all know she could begin labor at any given time. After Katie gives birth our baby girl will be here until her original birth day of February 17, 2018.” The goal of five more weeks was not to be, and on December 14, 2018, Reece made her 
entrance into the world. She was born at 2:23pm, weighing just 3 pounds 11 ounces. She was just 17¾ inches long.
That unplanned arrival marked the traumatic start to little Reece’s life, but her story did not end there. Reece received amazing care at Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Hospital. The are like God’s miracle working network for babies, preemie or just sick. A very long 60 days later, Katie and Keifer left Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Hospital, with very mixed emotions. They wanted to go home, but as any parent of a preemie will tell you, that carries with it the worry over your child. Nevertheless, before long, Reece’s sweet smiles and her darling personality soothed their worried minds, because it was obvious that their little girl was going to be just fine at home too. Reece has made amazing progress, and while she may still be a bit smaller than average, she is a happy, healthy one year old. Today is Reece’s 1st birthday. Happy birthday Reece!! Have a great day sweet girl!! We love you!!
The birth of your first child is always an exciting time. Your life is forever changed, because you are no longer just you or just a couple, you are a parent…you are somebody’s parent…forever. December 14, 2017, was that day for my grand nephew, Keifer Balcerzak and his wife, Katie, when their beautiful baby girl, Reece Victoria Renae Balcerzak made her grand, two month early entrance into the world. Little baby Reece was not supposed to arrive until about February 20, 2018, but as babies sometimes do, she got in a bit of a hurry. Nevertheless, the good people at Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado were able to delay her arrival by two weeks to give her a little bit more time to grow. And she did a pretty good job of it, weighing in at just 3 pounds 11 ounces, which I think isn’t too bad for a baby who is two months premature. Reece is 17¾ inches long, and she and her Mommy are doing well.
For Katie and Keifer, the love was instantaneous. In fact, Katie put it in such beautiful words that no others are 
really necessary, when she said, “And at last I see the light, And it’s like the sky is new. And it’s warm and real and bright and the world has somehow shifted…All at once everything is different, now that I see you. Now that I see you…” I think truly does change your life for ever. It is a wonderful miracle…a precious gift from God, to bless your life.
Little Reece is no bigger than a minute, but she is a fighter, and she is going to do just fine. The nurses tell her parents that she is a “feisty handful” and she keeps them busy. That isn’t a bad thing for a preemie baby. The doctors have said that she will likely be moved out of 
the Level 1 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, to the Level 2 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit next week. She won’t be able to be home for her first Christmas, and in reality, her first Christmas was supposed to be next year, but she is a sweet Christmas gift to her mommy, daddy, grandparents, and the rest of her family, all of whom are very excited to meet her. But for now, Reece has some growing to do, because they don’t send babies home when they are no bigger than a minute. So eat hearty baby girl, you have family to meet. Congratulations Keifer and Katie on your tiny bundle of joy.
Everyone has a talent in life…something they are very good at. Even kids excel at things, for their age group, and sometimes, well beyond their years. My grandson, Josh loves to play basketball and run in track. Earlier this year, he played in his last middle school basketball game, and today I attended his regular track meet, and most likely the last of his middle school events. It is sad really, to watch kids grow up. Those years pass by so quickly. Before you know it, they are all grown up, and out on their own. That is why I like to attend their activities whenever I can.
So, today, I watched my youngest grandson run with all 
his heart. He was entered in four races, and happily, he placed in four races. He placed 6th in the 400 meter race. His team took 7th in the 4 X 100 Meter Relay. He took 4th in the 800 meter race, and his team took 2nd in the 4 X 400 Meter Relay. It was a fantastic day for Josh, and I am so proud of his accomplishments.
Josh had a rocky start in life…coming 5 weeks ahead of his due date, and spending 2 weeks in Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Hospital. While there, he was given great care, ans as soon as his lungs were developed enough to put him out of danger, he came home to live with his mom, dad, and big brother, Chris. In the years that followed, there were few signs of his early 
struggles left, and most definitely none in the area of his lungs or his appetite. He grew strong, and active, and before long, was proving that he was a fighter…both in life and in sports.
Josh also has a heart for caregiving, and has been instrumental in the care given to his great grandparents since 2005. I think he could easily be an EMT or Paramedic when he grows up, because that ability seems to come naturally to him. Maybe he knows that there were people who stepped in and took care of him when he needed it most, I don’t know for sure, but whatever the case, he has a talent for caring for those in need. Josh is just a loving and talented boy. He has a big heart and I’m very proud of him.
