More than 300 moms, dads, grandparents, toddlers, babies and kids showed up Saturday for Methodist Mansfield’s second NICU reunion, to reminisce, visit with hospital staff and celebrate.
Methodist Mansfield has welcomed 2,023 babies this year. Of those, more than 160 spent time in the NICU, said Angel Biasatti, the hospital’s director of community and public relations.
“We specialize in special deliveries,” Biasatti said via email. “Our Level III delivers care around the clock to preterm and fragile infants. A multidisciplinary team of nurses, respiratory therapists, educators, discharge planners, advanced neonatal nurse practitioners and board-certified neonatologists provides intensive care for infants of all gestational ages. The NICU is equipped with some of the latest technology, and offers an intimate environment, where light, temperature, and noise are controlled to stimulate babies to grow. Our highly skilled neonatal nurses provide individualized care to the infants and comfort and reassurance to parents and families.
“Babies who are placed in the NICU are admitted when a high level of care is indicated. Babies may be sent to the NICU if they are born prematurely, problems have occurred during delivery or the baby show signs of a health issue,” she said. “Only very young babies (or babies with a condition linked to being born prematurely) are treated in the NICU. How long they'll stay in the unit depends on the severity of their condition. Survival rate of premature babies varies depending on the severity of their illness.”
Both of Methodist Mansfield’s set of triplets celebrated at the NICU reunion. Adam, Bradley and Caleb Boughton, along with mom Dachia and big brother Jordan, 4. . Lacey and her triplets Marshall, Nash and Oakley Wright also attended. Both sets of triplets enjoyed decorating pumpkins, petting the pet therapy dogs and having fun at the party.
“They were so small when they were born, it was surreal,” mom Dachia Boughton said. “You can never imagine what it’s like until you go through it.”
Coming back and seeing the nurses, the hospital, is such a joy, says Lacey Wright. The NICU team made an extra effort to accommodate our needs after delivery. The nurses sectioned off part of the nursery for our family to be together and relax. They were wonderful, Lacey says. I’m so grateful that we have a hospital like Methodist Mansfield.
“This is our favorite event of the year, says NICU Manger Jamie Harrington, BSN, MHA, RN, RNC-M, NN. “We absolutely love getting to see our babies and their families. It is amazing to see the transformations they make in such a short period of time after they go home. We can’t wait to see them again next year.”