NICU Patients and Medical Staff Reunion at SVMHS

A celebration and reunion was held for the patients and medical staff of the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on Saturday.

More than 400 people turned out for the event. It is a annual celebration held for medical staff to reunite with children that spent five days or more at the Level III NICU.

140 to 170 infants are admitted to the NICU each year, Saturday was a day to celebrate how far they have come.

The oldest patient who attended the event was 15 years old, the youngest, just 6 weeks.

This years theme was Superhero. Each child was given a cape and a mask. Medical staff also dressed up for the occasion.

Karina Rusk, spokesperson for Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, says “it was celebratory because all of these parents are so grateful for the technology and people that cared for their babies and now they are healthy and thriving and they get to say thank you. And it was a super hero theme so we gave cape and masks to all of our children, but I had one parent say, you know who are the real super heroes, your doctors and nurses.”

There were also bounce houses, games and food. Rusk estimates close to 800 pancakes were served to the attendees.