Eisenhower Health host their 1st NICU Reunion

Eisenhower Family Birth Center hosted its first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Reunion in Rancho Mirage. The event was also a Pre - Mother's Day celebration.

"It's wonderful to see these babies after they've gone home," Veronica Williams, the Director of Eisenhower Family Birth Center. "And now they're a little older. And it's just; it's just amazing. It's wonderful. It's a celebration to them, their parents, our nursing staff, and our physicians, which helped these babies during their stay in the NICU."

Almost 130 families attended the NICU reunion. The Encanto themed room and music kept the energy high as babies cooed, crawled, and clapped the entire time.

"We just felt very relieved when she came and was healthy," says Vrielle Marr, mother of Parker Marr, a former NICU patient

Vrielle and Patrick Marr welcomed their first child Parker in October 2020.

Vrielle was hospitalized for five weeks for a placenta condition and had a c section at 34 weeks.

"She spent 11 days in the NICU, but the staff and everything here was very supportive," says Mrs. Marr.

Parker is now seven months old and healthy, playing with her nurse Julie Reaume at the NICU Reunion.

"Nobody wants to come to the NICU, but just to bond with them there," says Julie Reaume. "And now seeing how she's just flourishing is amazing."

Wave Hernandez was born on a Friday, but it wasn't until he was discharged from Eisenhower Family Birth Center three days later that his parents saw him.

"There was a really big possibility that we were going to have to leave the hospital without him," Danielle Hernandez, mother of a former NICU patient, Wave Hernandez. "So no mom ever wants that. But luckily, we didn't have to."

Saturday was a chance for families to share stories of appreciation with those who cared for them and gave them hope at their most vulnerable moments. 

"It just keeps feeding our desire to be there for these families," says Dr. Jaime Tannenbaum, director of the NICU. "At sometimes one of the worst times are certainly unplanned times."

Physicians, nurses, and volunteers were all smiles seeing their NICU patients healthy and having a good time.

"Thank you guys so much for helping us all during it," says Patrick Marr, father of Parker Marr, a former NICU patient. "It was a really tough time for us. And just having everyone there was so supportive was just a blessing for all of us."

There were multiple children's slides, a play pin, and ball pins for the children to play. They also had tamales and pozole for the families to eat.

"He was in the NICU the entire time we were in the hospital, so we never got to see him," "He was in the NICU the whole time."