NICU Remains an Important Part of Patients’ and Families’ Lives Years After Their Stay

Nearly 800 people attend Stanford Medicine Children’s Health’s 40th NICU & ICN Graduation Party

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health holds a special place in the hearts of families and children who receive care there. This year, nearly 800 people attended the 40th Annual NICU & ICN Graduation Party to reunite with the beloved doctors and nurses who cared for them during a challenging time in their lives.

“I attend the NICU annual parties because it’s really nice to see the people who took care of me and helped my mom with me as a baby, like nurse Penny and nurse Roberta, who we stay in contact with to this day,” says Chris, a successful 39-year-old tech manager from the East Bay who was born at 24 weeks during a time when survival for micropreemies (babies born under 26 weeks) was very low.

Chris was so tiny, his dad’s wedding ring fit around his upper arm.

“I know I didn’t have a good chance of survival as a kid. Stanford made a huge difference in my survival. They picked up on everything I needed and kept me going,” he says.

Chris at 4 weeks old with his dad’s wedding ring around his arm

Chris today with his mom

Chris was born not breathing and needed extensive care interventions. He stayed three months in the NICU. Chris and his wife, who was also born premature, sighed with relief when their daughter was born full-term. She’s a healthy, happy 4-year-old today.

“The graduation party also gives newer parents hope when they see older kids who are doing well,” Chris says.

Stanford Children’s Health’s NICU provides Level IV care, the highest level of intensive care available for newborns. The large team of expert neonatologists are some of the best in the country, ranked third in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

It’s this level of expertise, delivered with compassion, that makes Stephanie most grateful when she reflects back on her son Julian’s seven-month NICU stay at Stanford Children’s. Julian was born at 24 weeks and 3 days’ gestation, weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces, about the same as two soda cans. Soon, he will turn his adjusted age of 1.

Julian during his first days in the NICU

Julian now with mom

“Julian is starting to use his walker. When I come home from work, he smiles and bursts out laughing, hoping I will chase him,” says Stephanie. She thinks he will be walking soon. “Thanks to the Stanford Children’s NICU and their incredible medical care and overwhelming support, we are able to celebrate every milestone Julian reaches.”

Julian’s airway was underdeveloped, so he needed breathing support right after birth and up until recently. Today, he is breathing on his own. His airway is still narrow, so he is being treated by the nationally recognized Aerodigestive and Airway Reconstruction team at Stanford Children’s.

Stephanie felt like Julian’s NICU nurses and doctors were family. “They were with us every step of the way, and the experience they gave us really changed us,” she says.

Because Stanford Children’s is well-equipped to provide state-of-the-art, personalized, around-the-clock care for the smallest and sickest newborns, the team was able to help Julian survive, gain strength, and go home, where he is free to grow, laugh, and play with his family.

Stephanie was touched by the NICU celebration, where they reconnected with beloved NICU nurses Laura, Amy, and Nadia, and Ritu Chitkara, MD, who “made their time in the hospital feel like home.”

“We attended the event because for us, it’s a celebration of life for Julian. Without Stanford Children’s, he would not be here today,” Stephanie says.

High-quality NICU care does far more than help babies survive—it lays the foundation for lifelong health, growth, and well-being. When babies are supported holistically with quality sleep, nutrition, critical care, occupational and physical therapy, loving touch, and neurodevelopmental care, they have a smaller chance of experiencing long-term consequences of prematurity, such as developmental delays, learning challenges, and chronic health problems.

Dr. Irene Jun holding her babies after they graduated from the NICU

Irene Jun, MD, a neonatal hospitalist at Stanford Children’s, never loses sight of what a strong start in the NICU provided her 16-year-old twins, Katie and James. “I credit their good health outcomes to the expert, dedicated, and compassionate medical teams in the NICU during those critical early weeks,” she says.

Katie and James were born at 31 weeks and 5 days’ gestation, each weighing about 3 pounds. They spent four weeks and six weeks, respectively, in the Stanford Children’s NICU receiving breathing support and intravenous nutrition until they were strong enough to breathe and eat on their own.

“By the time they were discharged, they were thriving and acting just like healthy term infants—you would never have known they were born prematurely, thanks to the incredible comprehensive care they received,” Dr. Jun says.

The twins are active, healthy, happy teens getting the most out of life. A few years ago, James raced on competitive Tahoe snowboard teams, and Katie competed in national horse shows. Today, James is happiest when jamming out on his bass guitar, and Katie is enjoying her role as the captain of her school’s open tennis team.

James Jun today

Katie Jun today

The twins’ NICU experience deeply affected Dr. Jun. As a staff member in Stanford’s NICU, she was suddenly on the other side of the hallway as a mom, not a doctor. Despite being the team’s peer, she was treated as a parent. “I was allowed to struggle with breastfeeding, feel exhausted, and be scared about the future. The NICU family cared for us with the same dedication and compassion they give every parent and baby. The experience gave me a profound appreciation for the power of empathy,” she says. Going forward, she brought that newfound parent perspective into the care she provides—giving families an extra dose of empathy and support.

The 40th NICU & ICN Graduation Party was held on Sept. 14. Its Hawaiian theme had NICU and ICN staff, families, and babies dressed in bright tropical clothing, setting the mood for a fun day of games and festivities—including a hula show and a bird show—and delicious treats.

The graduation party was the brainchild of now retired nurses, Roberta Harryman, RN, and Barbara Boyington, RN who organized the event for several years. More recently, nurses Jasmine Madlangbayan, MSN, RN, RNC-NIC from the NICU and Ami Wells, BSN, RN from the ICN collaborate as facilitators of the graduation party committee. “The NICU& ICN graduate party is a deeply meaningful celebration for everyone involved—doctors, nurses, therapists, volunteer cuddlers, and all the people who cared for these patients during their most fragile moments. Most importantly, they are a milestone for families, honoring their journeys, resilience, and the lives of their children,” says Wells.

The event was attended by several NICU and ICN nurses and doctors, including William Rhine, MD, Dr. Chitkara, Meera Sankar, MD, Melissa Scala, MD, Alexis Davis, MD, Valerie Chock, MD, Janene Fuerch, MD, Anoop Rao, MD, Sonia Bonifacio, MD, Andrew Parsons, MD, and others.

“For many, the grad reunion is a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come. This year’s Hawaiian theme was fitting because the NICU community truly feels like an ‘ohana,’ a family,” says Luanne Smedley, RN, Executive Director and Associate Chief Nursing Officer of the Johnson Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Services.

The highlight, of course, was bringing families and staff together to celebrate the strength and resilience of NICU babies like Chris, Julian, Katie, and James.

This event would not be possible without the contributions of generous volunteers and donors, including our staff at Stanford Children’s, the Roth Auxiliary, Happy Birds, Friendly Pony Party, Artsy with You, Paint in Colors, and the National Charity League. We thank them for their support.