Mothers Celebrate Mother’s Day After Overcoming Challenges
This Mother’s Day, two mothers who faced serious medical challenges are embracing life with renewed energy and joy.
One of them, Fatima Shepherd, is celebrating with a new kidney. She shared with the Post that the scars on her abdomen serve as a reminder of her resilience, both for her own life and that of her son.
A dedicated temporary worker for the FDNY, Fatima welcomed her son Okari in 2024. To realize her lifelong dream of motherhood, she endured daily dialysis treatments and spent five months hospitalized.
“I always knew I would be a great mother,” the 41-year-old said.
“Making breakfast and pancakes have been dreams of mine. It’s something I’m passionate about.” Those everyday moments, she reflects, mean the world to her.
Just months before discovering she was pregnant, Fatima had nearly resigned herself to the idea of not becoming a mother. At that point, she had dealt with lupus for nearly two decades, suffered two devastating miscarriages, and received a diagnosis of kidney disease.
Her pregnancy was deemed high-risk almost immediately; she was hospitalized at just 14 weeks and required dialysis six days a week, three hours each session.
However, she found positivity in her situation, describing the staff at Northwell as making her feel almost like she was “living in a hotel,” allowing her to enjoy frequent ultrasounds with Okari.
Although Okari was born healthy and without complications on July 5, 2023, the pregnancy took a toll, leaving Fatima with ongoing health issues that necessitated dialysis three times a week.
In a turn of fortune, she was placed on the transplant list and underwent surgery on April 19 of this year.
She noted that receiving her new kidney just in time for Mother’s Day made the occasion “especially special.”
“Healing over these past two weeks made me realize how strong I am as a mother,” she reflected. “No matter how exhausted I feel, I get up, take Okari to his appointments, dress him, and ensure he gets his breakfast. I don’t take a break – he doesn’t miss a thing.”
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Katie Moser is marking her first Mother’s Day as a mother of two after battling a life-threatening birth defect. Her six-month-old son, Ryan, was diagnosed with a condition called Meckel’s diverticulum while still in the womb. This rare issue, affecting just 2% of the population, wasn’t fully understood by doctors until his birth.
When Katie gave birth in November, her intestines were severely twisted, leading to a critical situation that required emergency surgery at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center NICU.
“That was definitely one of the toughest moments. I managed a quick kiss before they took him to the NICU. It was terrifying,” she recounted.
Ryan survived an intense four-hour surgery, but the journey was just beginning. Weighing heavily on the family, Ryan spent around six months in the NICU, separated by a glass barrier.
His survival felt miraculous. Mark Caton, the chief pediatric surgeon, told the Post that many babies wouldn’t have made it through that stage of pregnancy and affirmed that Ryan’s early arrival played a crucial role in his survival.
“Ryan gave us a reason to rise to the occasion, and we had to meet that challenge with all our skill,” Dr. Caton remarked about the surgery.
Despite the rocky start, Ryan was able to go home on December 27 after a two-month hospital stay. Now, even with his unsafe beginning, he is expected to “live a normal life,” but the experience dramatically impacted the Moser family.
This Sunday, Katie plans to enjoy a cozy day at home with her husband, Ryan, and their three-year-old son, Kyle.
“This Mother’s Day feels different. I treasure every moment spent together, knowing everything he endured and that we almost lost him,” Katie stated. “We love watching him grow—he’s such a happy baby.”
