Aiden’s Hope

When her son arrived prematurely, Mytisha Onyia discovered that the First Steps program at Piedmont Newton Hospital and a determined community could turn her thoughts away from fear and toward the promise of a bright future.

A Covington native and Salem High School graduate, Mytisha Onyia knows what it means to rebuild after loss. Years ago, she was the lone survivor of a devastating car accident that took the lives of her mother and siblings. The road to recovery was long, marked by physical therapy, lingering health challenges and the daily work of learning how to live with grief. Still, nothing quite prepared her for what came next. In the summer of 2025, Onyia discovered she was pregnant at around 26 weeks when she unexpectedly went into labor. Her son, Aiden, arrived prematurely and weighed just two pounds, eight ounces. He spent the next two and a half months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Piedmont Newton Hospital.

“I was scared,” Onyia said. “Everything happened so fast.”

Those early weeks blurred together. The steady beeping of monitors, long hours at the hospital and constant updates from doctors became her new normal. Like many NICU parents, Onyia found herself living in two worlds at once, holding onto hope while managing exhaustion and fear. However, she was not alone. From the nurses who became familiar faces to the hospital staff who checked in on her daily, Onyia was surrounded by quiet, steady care.

“My village showed up, in ways I didn’t even know how to ask for.”
Mytisha Onyia

One of those supports came through Piedmont Newton’s First Steps program—a long-standing initiative designed to make sure new parents leave the hospital not just with a baby but with resources, guidance and a sense that they have someone in their corner. The First Steps program has been part of Piedmont Newton for nearly 30 years. Launched in collaboration with the Department of Public Health, it was created to connect new parents with local resources from the very beginning. While the program receives grant funding from the Department of Public Health, it relies heavily on community partners and donors to meet families’ practical needs.

Parents are screened to gain an understanding of their situation, whether that means providing baby items like diapers, wipes and clothes or helping them navigate insurance, food assistance and community services. Moreover, every family also receives a children’s book and a resource packet, along with guidance focused on safety, including safe sleep and car seat education. Piedmont Newton is also fortunate to have a certified child passenger safety technician on staff who can check car seats and, when available, provide one to families in need. For Onyia, the support from program coordinator Lori Dickerson arrived at exactly the right time.

“Lori from First Steps was there for me,” she said. “She helped me figure out what I needed and made sure Aiden had things like diapers, wipes and clothes. When you have a baby in the NICU, those things matter more than you realize.”

Dickerson remembers Onyia well.

“Mytisha is great and has done such a good job making sure her baby is well taken care of,” she said. “I feel truly blessed to have been a part in ensuring they had the items they needed and were able to find resources that could assist. We’re very thankful for our community partners and their generous donations that make this program possible.”

The assistance did not stop at the hospital doors. Through Park Place Church in Snellville, Onyia was connected to Alicia Brown, who became a crucial guide during an overwhelming season. Brown helped her navigate available resources and stepped in with practical help, including clothes, toys and information that made the transition home feel less daunting. Other community members filled in the gaps where they could. Denise Ridgeway provided essential items, including a crib that gave Aiden a safe place to sleep. Jewel Porter made sure there was food in the house, easing one more worry during a time when worries were already in oversupply. Looking back, Onyia does not talk about one single moment of rescue. She talks about a series of small, faithful acts by people who saw a need and met it.

“My village showed up,” she said, “in ways I didn’t even know how to ask for.”

Onyia also leaned on her boyfriend, Deontre Hart, who supported her during Aiden’s NICU stay. Church members and even employees from a local company, Grit and Grace, stepped in when they heard her story. In moments when isolation could have easily taken over, community showed up instead. Onyia now lives in Conyers with Angelique Knight, a woman she affectionately calls “Miss Angela” who has been a steady presence and guide since September. Her days are full, centered on caring for her son and finding her footing in motherhood, but she has not lost sight of who she is beyond that role. A writer and lover of music, Onyia had begun shaping her story through words long before Aiden was born. She has already written a poetry book and is now working on a mixed fiction and nonfiction project titled “Life Without My Mother,” inspired by her life experiences. The idea began in high school, and in the midst of diapers and feedings, she is slowly returning to it with plans to self-publish.

Thanks to a hospital program built on decades of service, a church community that mobilized and a handful of people who said yes when it mattered, Onyia and her son are taking their first steps into a future that finally feels possible.

For information on the First Steps program at Piedmont Newton, visit piedmont.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-at-piedmont-newton/piedmont-newton-hospital-first-steps-program.

Click here to read more stories by Avril Occilien-Similien.