Caregivers and Families Celebrate and Share Memories at Intermountain St. George NICU Reunion

Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital recently held a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Reunion. This is an annual event and opportunity for families who had a baby who received neonatal intensive care to meet other families and re-connect with caregivers and celebrate their child’s growth and success and remember the tiny babies whose lives were lost.

“The staff at Intermountain St. George Regional NICU look forward to this event all year as we get to know these families well during their time spent at the hospital and there is a deep bond that exists years later,” said Dr. Patrick Carroll, medical director of Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. “We also get to see how the babies have grown since we last saw them in such a young, vulnerable state.”

The event was held at Thunder Junction All Abilities Park, in St. George, UT where families enjoyed fun activities such a splash pad, music creation area, slides, climbing areas, face painting and interactions with well-known children’s characters in costume.

Sandy White and her family have attended the hospital’s NICU reunions since 2009.

Her twin daughters, Maci and Jani, were born at 23 weeks, which was 17 weeks early on October 19, 2008. Jani passed away after her first month of life, while Maci, born at one pound and 5 ounces, remained in the hospital until she finally went home on February 5, four days after the twins’ original due date.

“The caregivers became family to us during our three-plus months stay in the NICU,” said Sandy. “You join a family – an educated family that can do for your baby what you are not able to during that time.”

She said their experience still impacts them today.

The staff decorated their door with ladybugs; and now, ladybugs have become a central theme in her life with Maci, who is now 15 years old. Ladybugs bring her thoughts of Jani’s life and feeling she is near.

Following a special flyover by Intermountain Life Flight, there was a memorial ceremony where families and caregivers participated by releasing butterflies in honor of infants who had passed. This is the second year for the butterfly release, and the White family recalled how emotional it was.

Maci White said there were tears as the butterflies were released as she thought of her twin sister.

“You attach yourself to that butterfly, a piece of your heart, and you wish it well,” said White.

Several nurses also released butterflies with the families for an infant they cared for that made a profound impact on them.

Intermountain St. George Hospital’s NICU is a 24 bed, Level III unit that opened in 2005 and provides nationally recognized, family-centered care for critically ill newborns with complex care needs.

The specialized nursery also provides care for those with high-risk pregnancies and full-term babies who need unexpected, extra support and care.

The NICU team provides a full range of highly specialized medical services for preterm newborns. This can include a range of therapies to care for the sickest babies, including those who:

• Need a machine to help them breathe (require conventional and high frequency assisted ventilation).
• Require nitric oxide therapy to help combat lung problems.
• Are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental problems or brain injuries and require therapeutic cooling or other neuroprotective therapies.
• Need highly specialized care for complex medical problems.
• Laser eye surgeries
• The hospital also has the NICU Life Flight Transport Team that provides transport services to surrounding communities and as needed throughout the country.

For more information about Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital, call at 435-251-5200 or click here.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a not-for-profit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.