Former Providence Children’s Hospital NICU babies reunite with their nurses

“Thank you, nurses, and I hope you have a good day!”, said Gabriel Delgado, a former NICU patient.

Dressed in an Iron Man costume with Captain America shield painted on his face, he admitted he doesn’t remember the nurses that cared for him as he spent a month in the Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit as a newborn. Still, that didn’t stop him from thanking the nurses for the good job they did.

The 2017 NICU Reunion Party at Providence Children’s Hospital provided a heartwarming chance for families to catch up with the nurses and doctors who cared for the infants during those critical months of their lives. Former patients attended dress in Halloween costumes, from Supergirl to police men, even a unicorn.

The gathering is also a chance for the nurses and doctors to see the progress of their former patients.

“It’s amazing,” said Kristol Veach, a NICU nurse at the Hospitals of Providence Memorial Campus. “It’s such a wonderful feeling. Even when the babies get to go home, initially we feel so happy and thankful. But after seeing them after all this time, it’s amazing.”

“This reunion shows us that the meaningful bonds formed between the babies and the nurses remain through the years,” said Celina Azar, Director of Volunteer Services for The Hospitals of Providence. “We thank our group of volunteers for making this beautiful event possible.”