High-risk babies return to hospital for reunion

Little Maya Rodriguez, 4, of Palatine had on a princess costume. It was the fall festival held Saturday at AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Women's & Children's Hospital in Hoffman Estates, and her outfit was fitting.

As the first baby born in the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after it got Level III status from the state, Maya was treated like a princess by the doctors, nurses and health care team that cared for her.

So were the nearly 100 other NICU graduates and their families who came to the hospital's first reunion.

They included 3-month-old Ava Mihun of Bartlett, who was the first "transport baby" rushed to Alexian Brothers' Level III NICU in Hoffman Estates after her premature birth in July at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village.

Another graduate, Alaina Youngberg of Belvidere, was one of the smallest babies ever born at the Women and Children's Hospital. She weighed 1.06 pounds at birth, but now is a healthy 2-year-old.

"The NICU is such a tight community that you just can't explain," says Theresa Rekuc of Algonquin, whose youngest son, Alex, spent 90 days in the unit after being born at 25 weeks gestation.

Now 2, he runs to keep up with his two older brothers and enjoyed all of the games at the event, including the golf putting station.

"Everyone wants to come back," Rekuc added. "You find every reason you can to come back and say 'thank you.'"

Maya was born just under 25 weeks gestation and weighed 1 lb., 6 ounces at birth. She spent 114 days in the NICU, then located within St. Alexius Medical Center, on whose campus the Women's and Children's Hospital now is located.

Her parents, George and Jenny, spent as much time as they could with their daughter, and when she was discharged, George Rodriguez suggested that there be some sort of support system for NICU parents.

"I wanted a way to tell other parents about the experience," Rodriguez says, "to make them more comfortable."

It led NICU staff to resurrect its Family Advisory Council, made up of physicians, nurses and hospital directors - as well as parents - who designed this first reunion.

"We give counseling to the parents and offer support groups," Rekuc says. "When you're pregnant, no one ever expects to deliver early. That's why we're trying to help the parents so much and do everything we can to support them."

Dr. Maliha Shareef, medical director of the NICU, says the advisory council is an extension of the unit's family-centered care.

"The parents are involved right from the beginning," Shareef says, "so that when they take the baby home they are comfortable about caring for them."

Parents go on daily medical rounds, are informed about every procedure and involved in the decisions made.

Shareef credits Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Terry Griffin with helping to instill the family culture in the unit. Last year, Griffin cowrote a book on the topic called "Family Centered Care for the Newborn: The Delivery Room and Beyond."

"We believe a baby is born into a family, not a NICU," Griffin says. "As a staff, we feel strongly about partnering with the family."

That family-centered culture was on full display at the reunion, as medical staff members hosted the games, posed for photos with their former patients and mingled with the parents.

"As a staff, this is a proud day," said Kevin Rath, executive director of Alexian Brothers Women & Children's Hospital. "It brings back good memories for all of us."