The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) staff at Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital hosted a birthday party on May 15 in honor of the graduates of the NICU who are between one and two years in age. The party has taken place since the early 1980s and is held as a way to celebrate all the hard work that is put into helping babies get better and stronger.
The NICU has between 600 and 700 patients come through each year and is the “regional referral center” for southwest Virginia, serving a 100 mile radius. Many family, friends, and NICU staff members were on hand for the event. Diane Goode has worked as a nurse in the NICU since 1967, and has witnessed a lot of improvements in technology for their small patients. Her role caring for babies is apparently unforgettable; she once had a lady approach her, saying “You took care of my son 31 years ago!” Cindy Johnson, also a NICU nurse who attended the party, called her job “very very rewarding … there are lots of miracles.”