The Klarman Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at BIDMC
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It takes an entire team to provide the best possible care for newborns like Sydney. With your help, babies will benefit through the support of family programs. When the family is prepared, emotionally supported, and confident at the time of discharge, their babies benefit. Please consider making a generous gift to support the important care that our world-class NICU provides every day. Thank you. |
An Early Arrival for Sydney
Two years ago, while on a weekend getaway, Stephanie Katz suddenly went into labor. At the recommendation of her physician, Stephanie went straight to BIDMC. And a few days later her daughter, Sydney Gabriella Katz, was born at 26 weeks gestation and weighed only one pound and nine ounces. Like many premature babies, Sydney was unable to breathe on her own. She needed the help of a ventilator and the expert, vigilant care of BIDMC’s NICU team to help her through her first months of life. ... Read More |
Each year in the United States, approximately one in eight babies is born prematurely. Premature births have a profound effect on newborns and their families. Preemies often present with complex medical needs and require specialized care to give them a healthy start. And, as the rate of premature births has risen 36 percent in the last 25 years, more families are being touched by this growing health concern.
The dedicated staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Klarman Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) care for and support these tiny, vulnerable patients and their families every day. Each year, BIDMC’s Klarman Family NICU provides state-of-the-art, family-centered care for more than 900 high-risk newborns and their families.
NICU C.A.R.E.S. for Families
Few events are as emotionally distressing to a family as the admission of their newborn infant into an intensive care unit. To address these unique needs, BIDMC’s NICU staff created a program called NICU C.A.R.E.S. (Compassion, Advocacy, Respect, Empathy, and Support) for Families. This program is specifically designed to support families’ emotional, educational, and social needs by providing hope, information, and a sense of community.
NICU C.A.R.E.S. for Families humanizes the NICU experience for new moms and dads through initiatives such as scrapbooking workshops, which enable parents to create meaningful tributes to their baby’s time in the NICU; coffee hours, which allow families to informally meet each other and share experiences; and welcome packages that include disposable cameras, photo albums, and journals to remind families that despite the gravity of the situation, their baby’s arrival is something to celebrate.
In these and many other ways, NICU C.A.R.E.S. for Families complements the expert, high-tech clinical care of the NICU with compassionate programs that are invaluable to the health and well-being of NICU families.
An Early Arrival for Sydney
Two years ago, while on a weekend getaway, Stephanie Katz suddenly went into labor. At the recommendation of her physician, Stephanie was transferred to BIDMC. And a few days later her daughter, Sydney Gabriella Katz, was born at 26 weeks gestation and weighed only one pound and nine ounces. Like many premature babies, Sydney was unable to breathe on her own. She needed the help of a ventilator and the expert, vigilant care of BIDMC’s NICU team to help her through her first months of life.
“The doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists of BIDMC’s NICU were absolutely amazing during a scary time,” said Stephanie. “Michael and I went home each night without our daughter, not knowing what the night or the next day would be like for Sydney. But the NICU team became our family, and we could go to bed knowing that they would care for her as if she were their own.”
The NICU team witnesses amazing stories of survival like Sydney’s every day. They were as thrilled as Stephanie and Michael when - after 137 days in the NICU - Sydney went home weighing a healthy eight pounds. Today, she is happy, healthy, and thriving and recently celebrated her second birthday. Happy Birthday, Sydney!
Read more about Sydney on their family blog: http://sydkatz.blogspot.com and on the Grateful Nation community where you can share your own story or leave a comment about Sydney.
