More than 200 parents and children filled the Community Room at Porter Regional Hospital for the annual NICU Graduate Christmas Party. An annual tradition since the opening of the NICU in 1977, the gathering provides an opportunity for former NICU patients and their families to reunite with Porter nurses and staff and celebrate healthy lives.
“These families get to know each other through the NICU and the nurses become a part of their families,” shared Elaine Johnson-Merkel, director of the Women and Children’s Pavilion at Porter. “The bond that is developed between our staff and the patients in our unit is lifelong. To watch these children grow up is truly a gift.”
