Check out some photos of our event!
Last year, over 1,100 people attended the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Reunion; and this year that number was toppled, as we welcomed back multiple sets of triplets and twins, their siblings, and parents. Each year as our attendance grows, so does our support from the community, as restaurants like Panda Express, Bobby Salazar’s, and Chick-fil-a provided wonderful lunch choices for our families. Many businesses donated goods and services that were wonderful prizes for our games winners of our costume contests.The Fresno Chaffee Zoo joined us again with their Zoomobile. Families were able to learn about exotic animals and the services that the zoo provides. Our families were able to enjoy:
- Food and music
- Photo booth memory-making
- Exploring our NICU Transport Ambulance and a Fresno Fire Truck
- Arts, crafts and games
- Child Safe Fingerprinting and ID by the Fresno Police Department
- Child safety demonstrations by CRMC Trauma and Injury Prevention
We couldn’t have been more excited to reunite our superhero babies with our police and fire heroes from the Fresno Fire and Police departments. It was great to feel so supported and loved by our community.
We welcomed back one of our special families, Ryan and Aimee Ledger, whose little boy Ethan, born 14 weeks premature, fought like a superhero, to live for 33 days. Ryan and Aimee turned their grief into support for other families by creating a charity called Ethan’s Hope which sponsors a charity golf tournament to raise money for families who may need the NICU.
About our special NICU
Any parent that has faced the challenge of leaving their baby in a NICU will tell you that care given by a dedicated team of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and other specialties is irreplaceable. Community Regional's team of highly trained specialists provides around-the-clock care to the “smallest patients” in our 84-bed, 20,000-square-foot, level-III NICU. We dedicate our lives not only to the art of treating the premature and sick infant, but to nurturing and supporting the family.
Where moms and babies stay together
It’s best for the entire family when moms and babies are able to stay in the same hospital. And that’s what sets us apart from other area NICUs. When babies are born early at Community Regional, their mortality risk is minimized by the elimination of having to be transported to another hospital. And, the
NICU team can immediately incorporate parents into their baby’s plan of care – reducing anxiety and stress from being separated from their little one.Many babies need to be transported in to our NICU from other hospitals – some nearby and some transported from as far as Bakersfield and Bishop. Whether through the air or by ground ambulance, our neonatal transport team is ready to offer a family-focused experience! Immediate arrangements are made for families living outside of Fresno to stay at our hospitality home, Terry’s House. Terry’s House keeps families close to their babies during a difficult and challenging time. Care that optimizes the family unit best for the baby’s outcome.
Our commitment
Since opening our doors in 2008, the NICU at Community Regional has grown to meet the needs of our Central Valley families and we’re committed to providing highly-skilled, comprehensive care for our babies and their families. We offer:
- Neonatal surgery
- Sophisticated electronic bedside monitoring
- Specialized-interdisciplinary care team
- Pediatric pharmacy team
- Laser eye surgery
- Neonatal ultrasound
- Breast feeding support
- Parenting support group
- Neonatal inter-facility transport
- High-risk infant follow-up clinic
Whether a baby’s stay is brief or prolonged, the day of discharge from our facility is bittersweet, as we know that we may lose touch with the families that we are used to seeing on a daily basis. The NICU Reunion gives us the chance to reconnect with the “little miracles” that once were in our care. It is truly amazing to witness the ties that can never be severed between this amazing NICU team and their families.
If you, or someone you know, had an infant that was cared for in our NICU, please let them know that we would love to reunite with them!
And, if you weren’t aware of how extraordinary our level-III NICU is, now you know! We are immensely proud of what we offer our Central Valley families, and we feel privileged to care for the smallest patients having the biggest potential.
Diana Cormier, DNP, APRN-CNS, RNC-NIC
Community Regional Medical Center
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
