NICU Families Reunite with Caregivers at Joyful Event 

Virtua's recent NICU Reunion was a remarkable day of fun, celebration, and appreciation for hundreds of area families and the Virtua colleagues who cared for them in the neonatal intensive care unit. 

More than 2,500 people attended the outdoor carnival at Virtua Voorhees Hospital. The heartwarming festival was a chance to share the delight of seeing former NICU babies—who weighed as little as 1 pound at birth and spent weeks or months in the hospital—now flourishing. 

"It fills our hearts to see the babies we care for grow into these incredible toddlers, kids, and teens," said Renee Smith, BSN, RNC-NIC, nursing director of the NICU. "The energy at the NICU Reunion is off the charts. It is pure joy to see everyone together."   

"Hope is a word we use a lot with our NICU families," said Ruth DiLeo, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, RNC-OB, assistant vice president of patient care services at Virtua Voorhees Hospital. "The parents of today's NICU residents feel encouraged and inspired when they meet former NICU babies who are now thriving, happy kids." 

Staff from all three Virtua NICUs (at Virtua Voorhees, Mount Holly, and Our Lady of Lourdes hospitals) attended and volunteered at the event, which is held every two years. 

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