Lifting people’s spirits: Celebrating NICU ‘graduate’ newborns

One of the grads at the Brantford General Hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in a recent photo.

By Jon Wells Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It is a time of year when newborns receive special attention, symbolically with Christmas, and the traditional much ado over New Year’s babies.

It’s the perfect time to meet the mugs of a few preemie newborns who entered the world precariously, but successfully, and have the grad photos to prove it.

And it’s always a good time to celebrate a good deed. In this instance, an over-and-above good deed, where a Hamilton Good Samaritan went the extra mile, and then some.

Tiny graduates of the neonatal intensive care unit

Graduate: from the Latin gradus, meaning “a step climbed (on a ladder or stair); figuratively, a step toward something.”

Taking the next big step in school deserves commemoration, but the very first step — birth — is worthy, too.

This is especially true for newborns who require treatment in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

In that spirit, the NICU at Brantford General Hospital recently launched a “NICU Graduate” celebration initiative, to help families mark the occasion when their little one’s hospital journey is complete.

Families who take part see their baby fitted with a tiny knitted purple cap (washed and reused), a certificate presented, and photos taken and posted on the hospital’s website if the family chooses.

“You think that most families go to the hospital, have a baby and go right home, but that isn’t everyone’s story,” says Amy Griesser, the clinical manager of pediatrics and the NICU at the hospital.

She says the program is about recognizing the journey of families with newborns in the NICU, “and also raising awareness about prematurity, and highlighting the services we have here with the whole care team.”

Brantford’s NICU cares for babies born as early as 32 weeks premature.

The hospital does about 1,500 deliveries per year, and 300 of these require specialized care for the newborn.

Some families spend up to two months at the unit, that has eight private rooms. Amy says parents are encouraged to spend all the time they wish in these rooms, even 24-7.

As it happens, the premature birth of her newborn was what Jackie Jeanes had expected. That’s because the Brantford woman’s first daughter, three-year-old Noelle, was born early.

In October, baby Amelia was born at 36 weeks, or about one month and a half early.

“You can never be fully prepared for it,” says Jackie. “But I had a hunch. It was like, here we go again.”

At birth, Amelia weighed just four pounds, 11 ounces. The average weight for a full-term female newborn is about seven pounds.

Amelia was on a feeding pump four days, and remained in hospital two weeks.

“Everyone (on the NICU care team) was so communicative from the get-go, and very accommodating,” she says.

At the grad celebration, Jackie cried, overcome by the symbolism. Staffers helped get everyone set for a family picture that included big sister Noelle, and dad Zack.

Once Amelia made it home, she was too small to even fit in Jackie’s strap-on baby carrier. But soon she put on weight and hit that milestone, too.

“She fits perfectly now.”

The NICU grad program started as a pilot project but will continue. The next step is organizing an event where families can return with their NICU grads to celebrate the journey so far.