In her 30-year-career as a nurse in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) at WellStar Kennestone Hospital, nurse Renee Hendrix could no longer count the tiny lives she saved – they were just too many. But for the parents whose children she and the rest of the NICU staff have saved, they are awesome heroes!
So, when tissue company Kleenex partnered with the hospital to create a touching tribute to nurse Hendrix, many previous patients and their families took the time to help. The parents recorded messages to thank Hendrix about the special things she did to make them feel better – such as letting them hold their fragile babies even when the other nurses wouldn’t allow the contact.
They felt that Hendrix was their kids’ second mother inside the NICU – and she felt the same way, too. After all, it takes a special kind of nurse to have the guts and determination to be in the NICU for years, with this facility being the place where neoborn babies fight for their lives.
Hendrix cried as she watched the parents’ messages on the iPad but was even more touched when they popped out from the door to greet her face to face! It was a great moment for this NICU nurse who admitted that there were many patients they thought would not make it through their shift yet managed to pull a miracle and survive against all the odds.
Watch the touching reunion here:
NICU
The NICU is a medical facility specially designed to care for ill newborn infants, most of who were born premature. Several hospital staff work inside the NICU to ensure that the best care is provided for all the patients. Aside from doctors and nurses, the NICU staff also include resident physicians, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and dietitians.
The first American NICU was opened at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, USA in October 1960. It was designed by Louis Gluck.