AAMC Neonatal Care Unit Celebrates Sweet 16

’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU, sees about 500 babies a year. That’s about 10 percent of the Parole hospital’s total births.

That’s 500 families who are faced with the unwelcome challenge of a premature birth. Some are forced to spend the first few weeks of their baby’s lives in the highly specialized ward.

Some are there for months.

And Saturday was a day to celebrate all those babies who not only survive a premature birth, but go on to live healthy lives. About 500 people, including families from Odenton and Gambrils, attended a Sweet 16 reunion party Saturday at AAMC to celebrate the NICU’s anniversary.

During the time spent in the NICU families tend to forge bonds with the nurses, doctors and staff members that are strong enough that they often think of them as, well, family.

Davida Bortmes of Odenton, whose daughter Grace, was treated in the NICU last year, said the reunion was a great event.

“It’s great to get to see all the nurses and doctors again,” she said.

Leigh and Allen Nichols of Gambrills also visited the reunion with their 15-month-old daughter Allie. Their premature baby girl spent three months in the NICU having been only 15.3 ounces when she was born.

Allie is now a healthy 14.8 pounds.

“It’s amazing,” Leigh Nichols said. “It’s amazing to know that there’s so many people who go through the same thing.”

Families such as the Conners from Broadneck can recount nearly each day they spent in the NICU. And for them, it’s been 15 years since their daughter Emily was treated at AAMC.

Polly White, one of the NICU nurses, was all hugs and smiles Saturday afternoon, recognizing a familiar face seemingly every time she turned around.

“It’s so nice to see them come back fat and healthy and chubby cheeked,” White said. “A lot of time we don’t recognize the children, but we know the parents.”