Smiles, hugs and happy tears flowed Sunday as parents and their children celebrated with the neonatal intensive care staff from Silver Cross Hospital at a reunion for graduates of its NICU unit.
The second annual event, held this year at KidsWork Children’s Museum in New Lenox, drew about 200 people including NICU nurses, parents, children, hospital staff and supporters.
“It’s good to see people you haven’t seen in almost a year,” said Porchea Baker, whose 1-year-old son Karrington spent 114 days in the NICU. “I mean just being able to say thank you and them getting to see how far he’s come … it’s a great thing.”
The feeling was mutual from NICU staff.
“You’re not just patients, you’re our family,” Dr. Corryn Greenwood, neonatologist and medical director for the NICU, told families. “Being able to reunite and see your babies thriving is truly the greatest reward.”
In 2022, Silver Cross opened Will County’s only Level III neonatal intensive care unit, giving high risk mothers and critically ill babies care closer to home. The 24-bed unit offers specialized care for infants who may need help with breathing or maintaining body temperature, IV fluids, monitoring heart rate, feeding by mouth or evaluation and support for other conditions. The NICU also is available for babies born at other hospitals in need of specialized care.
Annually, the NICU cares for about 160 infants with average stays of 21 days, though the longest on record is 185 days.
“To hear what a blessing it’s been to have this in our own backyard … it’s just so heartwarming,” said Michele Vana.
The neonatal unit is named after Vana’s triplets — Amy, Matthew and Jay Vana — now 30 years old. At the time they were born, the type of specialized care the triplets required was only available in Chicago — meaning daily trips for Vana and her husband, Tom, during the nine weeks their children were in the NICU.
For Nakeya Haywood, having a hospital closer to her home in Romeoville helped make her daughter’s six-month NICU stay a little easier. Haywood’s daughter, Nyla, was the first infant born at 22 weeks gestation.
Sunday was Nyla’s second NICU reunion — she’ll be 2 in November.
“Today represents the culmination of the work that the NICU does,” Haywood said. “All these families have been touched by the NICU whether it is one day or six months like us, it’s been a part of our lives that we’ll never forget.”
NICU Director Peggy Farrell said the reunion is a highlight of the year for the nursing staff.
“It’s incredible to see how far they’ve come,” said NICU nurse Angie Arthur.
Arthur and fellow nurse Amy Smith doted on Nathan Lythberg, who was one of their main patients in 2024. Nathan, now 16 months, spent 115 days in the NICU. When he was born, he weighed 1 lb. 10 oz.
At Sunday’s reunion, the 27-pound toddler happily explored the museum keeping his parents, Shane and Sam Lythberg, busy as they followed behind him.
“We loved all the nurses,” Sam Lythberg, of New Lenox, said.
“It’s good to reunite with them and other parents,” her husband, Shane, added.
While New Lenox has seen the opening of the children’s museum and a new sports complex in recent years, Mayor Tim Baldermann said working with Silver Cross is one of his proudest accomplishments.
“There is nothing that I have done as mayor that was more important … than working with Silver Cross and bringing them to our community,” he said.
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.