NICU patients return to Central DuPage Hospital for reunion

Austin Parmelee's first four months were spent in a hospital and doctors told his parents that he had less than a five percent chance to live.

His twin brother, Luke, had already died in Central DuPage Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit after the premature brothers were born at 24 weeks.

As Austin sat in an incubator, his mother, Nicole, didn't even know how to answer inquiries into his health.

"There was never a time when he was completely stable," she said. "You can't answer the questions."

Today, Austin, 5, enjoys school and music. He takes taekwondo lessons. These small, everyday experiences, were not a given for the Parmelees or hundreds of families who attended a Halloween costume party Sunday at Central DuPage Hospital.

The event welcomes children who began life in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, and serves as a yearly reminder for the Parmelees of their good fortune.

There was a time during his stay at the hospital that Nicole couldn't even touch her son, she said.

"I was here almost 24/7," she said. "They would often have to kick me out."

The family has yet to miss a reunion since Austin's birth.

The party, which is in its 23rd year, also gives nurses and doctors a chance to see their former patients again.

"This is the reward for all of the hard work the staff does," said Dr. Jeffrey Loughead, the director of pediatric programs at the hospital.

He has also been a director of the nursery since 1999, meaning he worked directly with many of the families in attendance Sunday.

Loughead stressed that the staff works hard and does what it can. But once the child is released, the heavy burden gets transferred to the parents, who must undergo education on their child and see them through.

"That's where the real work begins," he said. "We create an environment that allows them to heal."

Michelle Wills of Somonauk brought her 3-year-old son Stephan to see the nurses who helped him through his nine-month stay at the hospital.

On Sunday, Stephan's main concern was a fallen hat, which topped off his Thomas the Tank Engine costume.

But as a newborn, Stephan suffered through chronic lung disease, which caused him difficulty in breathing as a newborn because of damaged lung tissue.

"We weren't sure what was wrong with him," she said. "We just thought he'd be coming home with us."

Despite the tough ordeals each family at the event had gone through, Loughead said they had one thing in common: the child pulled through and had become a source of inspiration.

"If you look at the parents, they are not sad that their kid might not be the smartest kid in the class," he said. "But they're all hopeful and enthusiastic at what their outcomes could be."