September is NICU Awareness Month and Cori Broadus is offering some insight into what it’s like being a mother to a baby spending time in the neonatal intensive care unit. Her daughter, Codi Dreaux, was born at six months and is still fighting daily to be eligible to go home.
“Becoming a NICU mom was not part of the plan, but it became part of my story,” she wrote in an Instagram caption underneath a sweet video featuring her and her sleeping baby girl. “September is NICU Awareness Month, and I carry my little warrior’s strength with me every day.”
In the video Broadus posted, she thanked the team of professionals that help care for her baby and acknowledged how difficult it can be to navigate those waters.
“I want to give a major shout out to all the moms, the dads, the nurses, the doctors from one NICU mom to another. I know this is a hell of a ride but there’s nothing that God gives us that we can’t handle,” she began the video.
She continued, “And just hold on, we got this. My baby has been in the NICU for over six months now and…the way I’ve been in here going through it. It’s such an emotional rollercoaster but like I said it’s nothing that God gives us that we can’t handle and when we come in here we try to make sure that our love is bigger than the wires and the tubes and the machines and just staying strong for our Codi Dreaux.”
The entrepreneur gave birth to her little warrior, whom she shares with her fiancé Wayne Deuce, in February, which was far ahead of schedule. Broadus had a high risk pregnancy due to lupus, a condition she’s lived with since getting diagnosed at the age of six.
During the video, she also gave a shout out to the medical professionals helping her baby girl who have “become family at this point.”
“I wanna give a shout out to the parents making me feel comfortable, making me feel like I’m not alone in this. And the babies, you guys are so strong, resilient,” she said. “You guys are literally true tiny fighters and you are the heroes we celebrate this month and every day.”
The artist and entrepreneur ended the video with a note she penned in honor of the observance.
“So here’s to the NICU Awareness Month. Here’s to the long nights, the small victories, and the miracles in the making. From a NICU mom’s heart, thank you for standing with us. We’re still fighting, we’re still believing, and we’re still here,” she concluded.
This isn’t the singer’s first time opening up about her experience as a NICU mom. Back in April, she did an interview with the Jst US Podcast on the topic. The 26-year-old has always been vulnerable about her challenges in hopes of encouraging other people. In January 2024, she suffered from a stroke and has battled depression in addition to overcoming a suicide attempt in 2021. Broadus has used her internal strength and the support of loved ones to push forward.
It hasn’t all been challenging, though. She got engaged in 2022 and was elated to discover she was pregnant with her daughter late 2024. In February 2025, the new mom also launched her beauty brand CHOC Factory, which is comprised of makeup products like lip gloss, pencils, masks, and scrubs.
We’re sending love to NICU moms like her and their babies, and praying for the best outcome.