Miracle: An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs. When babies graduate from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), once fragile and slight, and now healthy, robust, and thriving, are some of the many words that come to mind.
But what seems highly improbable and extraordinary is quite common in the NICU at Ascension Saint Thomas. So much so, that Saint Thomas has been facilitating NICU reunion events for many years, most recently this past September. This ceremony enables children who have graduated from the NICU to come back and see the doctors and nurses who saved their precious lives.
Wendy Underwood, who has worked as a registered nurse at the Saint Thomas NICU since 1998, explains what a joy it is for the staff to be reunited with the tender souls that they so tirelessly nurtured --- and to see them transformed by the care that they personally provided; the event serves as an enormous morale booster amongst the staff. “I feel our NICU reunions are good for the community, in that the families get to see the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other ancillary staff who helped them through likely some of the most difficult times.”
Though the ultimate credit can be ascribed to God (the Ascension group is Catholic in its mission), these doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and ancillary staff can certainly be thought of as the means via which divination intervenes. Ascension NICUs are replete with specially trained and highly skilled medical professionals.
And beyond their obvious qualifications and skills, many of them have deep personal connections to their work. Underwood is the consummate example of this. As far back as she can remember, she knew that she wanted to be a nurse, and through the culmination of various cosmic circumstances, she was drawn to the NICU. She recalls a rotation she did early on in her career at Ascension Saint Thomas, where she was given an impromptu tour of the NICU by a seasoned nurse – she describes this as the impetus for what would be her ultimate calling.
She would also be drawn to her destiny in the NICU in the most personal way imaginable. Underwood recounts, “I personally had my first daughter born at 34 weeks. We didn’t have a NICU then (back in 1996), but we had a ‘Special Care Unit.’ That further reinforced my desire to work in a NICU.” Knowing firsthand the fear and anxiety of having one’s delicate baby in intensive care, has only served to make Underwood a better nurse.
It's a special kind of empathy that enables Underwood to treat these babies like one of her own – and over her career, she actually has cared for family members. She recounts taking care of both her nephew at one point (who is now 24 years old) and her great niece. Underwood is so deeply tied to the Ascension Saint Thomas NICU that not only has she treated family members, she’s even created staff members.
Her daughter, Amber, the aforementioned baby who was born at 34 weeks, has since followed in her mother’s footsteps. “My daughter grew up knowing nothing but NICU. She went on to go to nursing school and now works alongside me in our nursery. She occasionally gets pulled over to the NICU to help us.”
There is little doubt that the Ascension Saint Thomas NICU is performing miracles. The NICU treats around 350 to 400 babies annually, and about 15 to 17 babies at a time. With those numbers, it’s easy to imagine the kind of personal connection one might form with these tiny warriors. And though it may sound trite, the talented and dedicated staff are the guardian angels who are making these miraculous recoveries possible. Shift by shift, the nurses, doctors, and specialists are giving so much to the community – and the NICU reunion events give just a little bit back to them by showing them the invaluable work that they do and the indelible impact they have made.
Miracles are often described as extraordinary – inexplicable even. Though the recoveries that the NICU babies make at Ascension Saint Thomas are indeed extraordinary, they are not shrouded in mystery. It’s readily apparent that these precious babies are in the capable and loving hands of angels.
I feel our NICU reunions are good for the community, in that the families get to see the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other staff who helped them through some of the most difficult times.
