KMBC 9: NICU Reunion planned for children, families

Parents who have had babies born prematurely know how difficult it can be. Children’s Mercy is inviting former patients from their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and their families back for a reunion.

The hospital said it’s an opportunity for those families and the staff to celebrate and reconnect.

Astra Garner said there was a time when she didn’t know whether her daughter would ever be able to do simple things like run, climb and slide.

“There were times in the NICU when it was really, really rough and we didn’t know what was going to happen,” Garner said.

Her daughter was born 12 weeks premature and weighed 2 pounds, 7 ounces.

Garner said she knew her daughter was in good hands at Children’s Mercy’s NICU.

“Just the way I was included in her rounding every day, from the doctors, the nurses, lactation, social work, I felt it was a great team,” Garner said.

That’s why she’s giving back and helping to plan the upcoming reunion.

“Often times, we don’t get to see the outcome of the care that we provided,” said Teesha Miller, of the Children’s Mercy Hospital NICU. “(Families) often want to say thank you to the caretakers.”

The reunion is set for 2-4 p.m. Sunday, November 6, at Hospital Hill Park near Gillham Road and East 22nd Street and will feature food, music and fun activities for the whole family.

Anyone who has ever been a patient at Children’s Mercy Hospital’s NICU is invited. People are asked to RSVP online here.

See the full story via KMBC 9.

Learn more about the NICU and Division of Neonatology at Children's Mercy.