GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For some it has been months, for others years, since families have been able to reunite with the nurses who treated their babies while they were in the NICU.
From taking your baby's first breath to watching them grow, reunions at Trinity Health NICU are a day of celebration.
“They come back not only to celebrate life, but to celebrate their developmental milestones,” says Lynn Horodyski, a neonatal intensive care nurse, adding, “We really build relationships with not only the parents, but with the babies, and become an integral part of their launch into the world.”
I spoke with Jenver Seebeck, a 30-year-old single mother of four. “It can be a really stressful experience,” Seebeck said. “But with the right village of people, you can make it.”
All four of Seebeck's babies were born prematurely, and 11 years later, she still returns to the nurse who cared for her children from the beginning.
“We're not going to let this go,” Seebeck said. “Even if our lives depended on it, we're not going to let this go.”
Horodiski has played a vital role in these NICU reunions for the past 20 years.
“It's really amazing to know where that baby came from and to be able to see that child a year, five years, 15 years later and know that the care we provided may have really helped that baby grow and develop,” Holodiski said.
Each NICU reunion has a new theme, and this year, “I've been through a lot, so the theme is all about safari. We're all obsessed with the NICU,” Holodiski said.
While some nurses only see patients for 12-hour shifts, Trinity Health nurses care for these babies for up to three months.
“I think praying for the baby, praying with the mother and adding that to the care makes a big difference,” Horodiski said.
Even as the babies become toddlers and the toddlers become teenagers, this day remains an important one for caregivers, families and babies.
“This is actually the most special thing any parent can experience because you know the people who cared for your baby during the most vulnerable time of their life, when your baby was on a ventilator, and you know they had your back,” Seebeck said.
Trinity Health's next event will be a “Reading Marathon” from Sept. 9-19, where they will compete against other NICUs around the country to see who can read the most books to the most babies.
Follow FOX 17 on: Facebook – X (formerly Twitter) – Instagram – YouTube
