Once among the tiniest fish in the sea, these NICU/ICN grads returned to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford to reunite with the caregivers who saved them.
Ghiana and Ghiada Rodriguez join hundreds of former patients and families celebrating at the 41st annual NICU/ICN reunion.
On Sunday, Oct. 4, the Dean’s Lawn at Stanford University filled with families whose connections began under very different circumstances: in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Intermediate Care Nursery (ICN) at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.
For the annual NICU/ICN grad party, more than 985 former patients, 100 volunteers, family members and caregivers came together for an under-the-sea-themed afternoon of face painting, crafts, music, live entertainment, a petting zoo and more. For many, the gathering offered a chance to reconnect with the medical teams who cared for their children during some of their earliest, and most difficult days.
A journey shared with her caregivers
Among those returning was 3-year-old Abigail O’Connell, known as “Abi Mak,” who spent 200 days in the NICU with several medical anomalies, including an esophageal anomaly that required a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) repair. Her older brother Deklyn O’Connell, now age 6, became a familiar sight during those months, arriving at the hospital dressed in scrubs for visits with his sister.
Today, their mother, Diana Lattimore, describes a very different child.
We are so grateful for Stanford,” Diana said. “Honestly, they saved our daughter’s life. And now as a 3-year-old she’s climbing and biking and running and you would never know.”
Abi came home requiring oxygen and a feeding tube. She is now off oxygen and, her mother said, is getting close to no longer needing the feeding tube.
“I just feel like we’ve come so far,” Diana said. “It’s been quite a journey. But we’ve done this journey with all of these people.”
This is what brings the family back to the reunion each year.
“To be able to come and reunite with all the people who took care of her has been fabulous,” Diana said.
Seeing what comes next
For the doctors and nurses who once cared for these children like Abi at the bedside, the reunion offers a rare opportunity to see what happened after families went home.
“I love to see the children engaging with the entertainment, blowing bubbles, and giving hugs to the nurses who cared for them,” said Jasmine Madlangbayan, NICU RN and co-organizer of the reunion. “I love to see parents showing off their little ones and have them tell us how much they have grown.”
Ami Wells, ICN RN and event co-organizer said some families return decades after their hospital stay and still remember the people who cared for them.
“One of the things that surprises me most each year is how vividly parents remember their NICU experiences and the care and impact that nurses had on their baby and their entire family,” Wells said. “Their appreciation and gratitude remain so evident, even years later—some returning after 35 years or more.”
This year’s reunion also marked a milestone for William Rhine, MD, who is retiring after 47 years at Stanford Medicine. Dr. Rhine joined the faculty in 1989 and served for 16 years as NICU medical director at Packard Children’s. The event also honored Valerie Hansen, RN, who began her career as a NICU nurse in 1998 before transferring to the newly opened Premature/Perinatal Special Care Nursery (PSCN). The unit later became the Intermediate Care Nursery (ICN), where Hansen continued caring for patients until her recent retirement.
For caregivers, seeing generations of families return can be as meaningful as it is for the families themselves.
For Madlangbayan, one of the most striking things about the annual gathering is the healing she sees in both families and nurses. “It becomes a reminder of why we work so hard at bedside. This morale boost helps reignite our passion and reduce burnout,” she said.
“It is truly a full-circle moment,” Wells said, “and one of the most meaningful parts of being part of the journey.”
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This event would not be possible without the contributions of generous volunteers and donors, including our staff at Packard Children’s, Roth Auxiliary through Lucile Packard Foundation and Pampers.
