Three-year-old Grace came to the Walnut Creek neonatal intensive care unit’s reunion dressed as one of her heroes: a NICU nurse, complete with a Kaiser Permanente badge.
Born prematurely, Grace spent more than her first 3 months in the hospital. Her mother, Lizette Avalos, said the nurses and staff became like family during an otherwise stressful time.
Grace was among hundreds of former NICU patients and their families who recently reunited with care teams in Walnut Creek, South Sacramento, and Roseville. The celebrations gave families and caregivers a chance to reconnect, see how far the children have come, and enjoy games, food, Halloween festivities, hugs, and smiles.
Avalos said their family was thrilled to see their care team again.
“But what made it really beautiful, even though it was stressful with all its ups and downs, was the NICU nurses and the staff that really ended up becoming like family to us,” Avalos said.
Parent Dominic MagaOay, who attended the South Sacramento reunion with his baby son and wife, recalled the challenges of having a hospitalized newborn, as well as the memorable moments. Earlier this year, his child, Dominic Jace, was born 7 weeks prematurely, weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces.
“The NICU was our home for two months,” said MagaOay, Dominic’s dad. “We shared meals with our nurses, we shared tears, concerns, all our milestones we hit together, so just seeing everybody’s reaction here was so welcoming. It’s always been a blessing to have been a part of this journey.”
Roseville parent Gary Bladen’s daughter, Audrey, was also born prematurely, weighing 3 pounds, 9 ounces. Like MagaOay, he recalled the challenges and expressed gratitude for the nurses.
“It was a scary time,” he said. “We were first-time parents, so we got a lot of our first-time experiences in the NICU, like the diaper changing, swaddling, feeding, holding. All of that was done under the watchful eyes of some amazing nurses. I really have nothing but great things to say.”
Three years later, his daughter is doing well.
“She hit all her development targets just fine, and no worries.”
Julie Lucero, RN, a Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek NICU nurse who took care of Grace, said she enjoyed seeing how her patients have grown.
“I mean it’s the best job in the world,” Lucero said. “It’s such an honor to be a part of their journey.”
Shayna Gaman-Bean, MD, chief of the Roseville NICU, agreed that taking care of newborns is a special experience.
“When you’re taking care of somebody’s child, you get to know them pretty intimately, and you immediately develop these bonds that can last a lifetime,” Dr. Gaman-Bean said. “To be able to connect with the babies and the families years later and to see them thriving, this is why we do what we do.”
