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MURRAY — When some babies are born, they weigh 10 pounds. Others weigh 6, 7 or 8 pounds. But when some babies are born prematurely, they are no longer than a pencil or a can of soda and weigh no more than a pound.
More than 700 newborns are cared for every year in Intermountain Medical Center's Newborn Intensive Care Unit. Parents spend days, weeks or even months getting to know the nurses and doctors in this unit as their baby grows and heals. Not every child "graduates" from the NICU, but for those who make it, an annual reunion party is held at the hospital.
This is a great way for our patients and their families to … come back to celebrate with their friends, family and staff.
–Eve Thorup
Saturday night, the 10th annual Newborn ICU Reunion Party was held at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. More than 500 parents, babies, children, nurses and doctors gathered to remember the struggles and battles they survived together.
"This is a great way for our patients and their families to … come back to celebrate with their friends, family and staff," said Eve Thorup, the nurse manager in the NICU. "Our staff looks forward to this reunion each year. It gives us an opportunity to see their growth and development into healthy toddlers and young people."
Visits from Life Flight, Murray Fire Department, Gold Cross Ambulance and the Red Cross entertained and educated the crowd.
Multiple colorful carnival games were the highlight for the many smiling children who attended Saturday's party, while train rides, a picnic dinner and cotton candy contributed to everyone else's happiness.
Not only is the reunion a chance to celebrate these premature newborns' survival, but "it's also a chance for people to connect with others who have gone through similar trials and experiences," Thorup said.
According to Thorup, the NICU at Intermountain Medical Center is equipped with the latest neonatal technology and communication systems. It has one of the most advanced levels of newborn care in Utah with its private rooms for patients and pass-through windows in operating rooms for emergency cases that need rapid response from the NICU team.
One thing is for sure: The parents and kids in attendance Saturday owe at least some part of their lives to the NICU staff.
E-mail: apierce@desnews.com
