[KHTS] – Providence Holy Cross Medical Center brought their former Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU, patients back to the hospital for the first time on Saturday morning for a Halloween reunion.

The reunion was a chance for the healthcare staff and patients to reconnect in a fun environment.

It featured a host of games and activities for the kids to participate in, such as face painting, lawn bowling and storytime with one of the nurses.

The event also had a main stage where host T. Katz, from KHTS AM-1220, gave away prizes and invited guests to speak of the care their children had received from the NICU.

Alan Mork was one of the speakers and spoke about his daughter Vivianna who was treated at the NICU.

“My daughter was born at 28 weeks and spent about 13 weeks here at NICU,” Mork said. “At 20 weeks of pregnancy when we were to find out the sex of our baby, my wife had (complications) and there would be very little chance of having a healthy baby. At that point, our amazing OB Dr. Grossman recommended we stay on bed rest and after eight weeks Vivianna came.”

Vivianna attended the event with her family, being carried by her mother, while her sister ran around playing at the many attractions.
NICU DogsThe NICU has helped close to 1,000 patients over the course of three years since the unit has been open at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, Dr. Bernard Klein, a doctor with the hospital, said.

“The NICU is for when a baby is born and they’re too young to be ready to go home or (have) problems with respiratory or their breathing, so we put them in intensive care for premature babies,” Klein said.

For many, this event was an emotional remembrance of the care that was given. Mork said he would do anything for the members of the NICU.
“I was talking to a couple here, whose baby was born three years ago and placed in (intensive) care, not long after our NICU opened,” Klein said. “They hadn’t been back since then, they didn’t realize how emotional it would be to see the wonderful care takers that helped take care of them.”

The Providence Holy Cross Medical Center NICU currently helps families from the Santa Clarita Valley and Northern San Fernando Valley.