The CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System will host its annual NICU Reunion from 10 a.m. until noon today at the hospital's serenity garden courtyard. The celebration is for families and graduates of the hospitals Level III neonatal intensive care unit.
Families can enjoy refreshments, photos, games and prizes for NICU graduates and their loved ones. NICU graduates will receive special T-shirts.
"These graduations are special because we get to see the families and the progress the children have made," said Rebecca Barr, NICU clinical manager. "We are also requesting photographs for a very special 'Then and Now' segment. We are asking families to please send pictures of their NICU graduate to [email protected] when they were in the NICU and an updated picture of them now to show their progress."
Without the level of care available at the St. Michael NICU, many children would need to be sent to Dallas or Little Rock. Advanced technology and a highly trained team of caregivers offer families the care they need for children born too sick or too soon.
"When parents are expecting, the last thing they want to worry about is how your baby will be cared for," Barr said. "CHRISTUS St. Michael focuses on making sure a mother's delivery and a newborn's neonatal ICU stay is as close to home as possible, so that they can focus on getting well and going home."