Special NICU Reunion Is This Saturday At Thunder Junction

If you've ever spent any time around someone who has had preemie babies, you know they are a special lot. After all, trusting medical professionals in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as they keep your precious baby alive can be incredibly stressful.

Intermountain Health’s St. George Regional Hospital will be holding the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Reunion this Saturday (Sept. 16) from 9 a.m. to noon. The reunion is available to all former patients and families who have received care from the St. George Regional NICU.

The Reunion is held at Thunder Junction All Abilities Park with staff and families. Snacks and drinks are provided, and the park gives children the chance to play at the splash pad, music creation area, slides, climbing areas, and more. Free train rides around the park are given for NICU graduates and families.

“The NICU Reunion gives the chance for families to reunite with staff as we got to know each well during the needed care for their newborns,” said Patrick Carrol, St. George Regional Medical Director and neonatologist. “It also gives our staff the chance to see these children that we took care of for days and weeks, and to see how they have grown.”

The NICU Reunion will have a memorial ceremony for infants who have passed by releasing butterflies at 11:30 a.m. Several nurses will release butterflies with the families for an infant they cared for that made a profound impact on them.

St. George’s NICU is a 24 bed, Level III unit that opened in 2005 and provides nationally recognized, family-centered care for critically ill newborns with complex care needs. The specialized nursery also provides care for those with high-risk pregnancies and full-term babies who need unexpected, extra support care.

The NICU team provides a full range of highly specialized medical services for preterm newborns. This can include a range of therapies to care for the sickest babies, including those who:

• Need a machine to help them breathe (require conventional and high-frequency assisted ventilation).
• Require nitric oxide therapy to help combat lung problems.
• Are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental problems or brain injuries and require therapeutic cooling or other neuroprotective therapies.
• Need highly specialized care for complex medical problems.
• Laser Eye Surgeries
• The hospital also has the NICU Life Flight Transport Team that provides transport services to surrounding communities and as needed throughout the country.

For more information call (435) 251-5200 or email SGNICUReunion@imail.org.