Penn State alumna creates foundation for families of NICU and loss 

As a Pennsylvania native, Justina Oldehoff always knew she would complete her degree at Penn State. It wasn’t until she was in the Master of Health Administration program that she learned just how much her education would make a difference when a personal tragedy fueled a broader purpose.

She felt inspired to create a foundation that would provide resources devoted to families who are going through similar difficulties. The goal of the foundation is to support others throughout their neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and child-loss journey by providing resources and offering hope and encouragement through their website and social media platforms. Carter’s Cause sends NICU and bereaved support packages to families across the nation and donates to hospital NICUs.

Three months after Carter passed away, Oldehoff and her husband were shocked and scared to find out they were pregnant again. The pregnancy was immediately deemed high risk, and Oldehoff was put on bedrest at 18 weeks for complications once again. After 36 days on home bedrest, Oldehoff was admitted to the hospital at 23 weeks and 6 days – the same gestational age as Carter – and had to remain on bedrest in the hospital for the remainder of her pregnancy, since she could go into labor at any moment. At 29 weeks and 3 days, Oldehoff was rushed for an emergency c-section and her son Aron was born weighing 3 pounds, 8 ounces.

Part Two: After only three months, Justina and her husband were shocked and scared to find out they were pregnant with their second baby. Being deemed a high-risk pregnancy immediately, Justina shares what it’s like to relive moments in the NICU, her perspective and wisdom on how to endure high-risk pregnancy after loss, and most of all the journey of welcoming her son, Aron, at just 29 weeks.

After 77 days on bedrest and 49 days in the NICU, Oldehoff and her son Aron were finally able to return home the day before Thanksgiving.  

Despite the challenges that Oldehoff faced, she completed her degree in 2020.

“On both a personal and professional level, if you are thinking about getting your MHA degree, do it! It truly sets you apart, provides knowledge of healthcare as a whole, builds confidence when you can combine experience and knowledge from the program, and provides a foundation for areas you may not have been familiar with before.”  

“Having the experience and connections with such amazing classmates truly sets the program apart,” Oldehoff said. “The support from professors and classmates inspired me to continue my degree and set the groundwork that was needed to create our foundation.”