Halloween NICU Reunion at Providence Children’s Hospital
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - Providence Children's Hospital hosted more than 200 parents, children and NICU graduates for their annual Halloween reunion all decked out in their best costumes.
"It is overwhelming to see," said Michelle Holguin, Chief Nursing Officer for Providence Children's Hospital. "I just met with a family who had twins and they were here, they babies were here 11 years ago, and they were with us for 3 months."
The event is an opportunity for families and staff to gather and see the growth and improvement of those babies that were in the Level IV NICU, which is the highest level in the state, and cared for by hospital staff.
"So when they are here it is stressful, because they expect to have their baby and take them home, you know between 24-48 hours. Now their baby is critical, requiring additional services and healthcare," Holguin added.
Providence Children's Hospital has held the event for over two decades. The NICU was opened in November of 2023 and has tended to hundreds of babies since.
"The families have a wonderful space to be able to come and bond with their child and interact with the staff to understand what the care is being provided to their baby and learn about how their child may be different as a new born, and what to expect once the baby is ready to go home," said Holguin.
At Thursday's event parents proudly showed off their healthy and strong babies and got to reunite with the nurses and doctors that cared for them after their birth until they graduated and got to go home.
