Meet the Author

Madison Block is a wife, mother, business owner, and now author. Her journey to motherhood took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia at 29 weeks pregnant. Just one week later, her condition progressed to HELLP syndrome, resulting in an emergency C-section to save both her life and the life of her son, Jackson.

Born 10 weeks early and weighing just 2 pounds, 15 ounces, Jackson spent the first seven weeks of his life in the NICU. During those long weeks, Madison and her husband, Isaac, visited him every day, watching their tiny baby grow stronger as they waited for the day they could finally bring him home.

Our Hand to Hold: The Miracle of You was born from that experience.

As Jackson grew, Madison wanted a way to tell him the story of his early arrival in a way that was honest, gentle, and appropriate for a child. She wanted him to understand that although his beginning was unexpected and sometimes difficult, it was also filled with hope, joy, strength, and an incredible amount of love. Most of all, she wanted him to know that from the very beginning, he was deeply wanted, endlessly loved, and never alone.

Madison wrote Our Hand to Hold: The Miracle of You for Jackson—but also for every family whose story began differently than they imagined.

Through this book, she hopes to give parents a gentle way to share the story of prematurity and the NICU with their children, while reminding NICU families that they are part of a community connected by strength, hope, and love.