It was a reunion between families and the staff who cared for them.
More than 80 families attended the 30th annual Victoria General Hospital neonatal intensive care unit reunion at Jeneece Place, where staff, parents and children reunited with each other under much happier circumstances.
“It is an opportunity for families to reconnect … They grow close because they spend a lot of time there,” said Island Health spokesperson Sarah Plank. “When they are there it is a stressful time and they develop close bonds and it’s (an opportunity) for staff to see how the babies have grown and thrived into healthy children. It is rewarding to see how the babies have grown.”
The NICU provides specialized medical and nursing care for children born prematurely or with medical conditions and serves approximately 600 babies each year. More than 18,000 babies have been cared for in the Victoria General Hospital neonatal ICU since it opened 30 years ago.
“It is an important event for staff and families because it gives (staff) a chance to see the positive end of the experience because they have spent this time together in stressful situations,” Plank said. “(Now) they get the chance to get the reward of being together in a non-stressful way.”
For more information on the NICU or to donate to the spring campaign for pediatrics and funding for equipment for the program among others, visit
victoriahf.ca