March of Dimes Spreads Holiday Cheer to NICU Families at Magee
By: Taylor Andres
With just a few short days until Christmas, March of Dimes spread some holiday cheer in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. Gift bags were delivered to the families of babies in the NICU by members of the Western PA Young Professionals Board, hoping to bring comfort during a difficult time. The goal of the delivery was to help the babies celebrate their first Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa despite being unable to go home for the holidays this year.
“We can’t thank the March of Dimes and the Young Professional Board enough for all the wonderful work they do for our tiniest babies in the NICU,” said Suzy Guess, director of patient care services at Magee’s NICU. “The visit, donation and support meant so much to our families during the holiday season.”
“March of Dimes does so much for moms, dads, and babies behind the scenes and it’s always nice to show some support on the front lines in the hospitals,” said Jessica Gage, member of the Western PA Young Professionals Board.
The gift bags were filled with items to benefit the whole family. For babies, onesies, bibs, teethers and mittens were provided. Parents received lotions, hand sanitizers and lip balms while younger siblings received books to color and read.
The NICU at Magee cares for more than 1,800 ill and premature newborns annually, making it one of the largest and busiest NICUs in the country. These babies can face serious health challenges and have an increased risk of lifelong disabilities. Having a baby in the NICU can certainly take a toll on a family and March of Dimes works to better the experience for over 50,000 families each year. They offer NICU Family Support® to educate both families and healthcare staff all over the country.
