NICU Reflections from May 2018 Excerpt from

“Drawing a Day in the Life of Hennepin HealthCare”

Musings by patient and family member Anita White.

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The tiny heartbeats of the NICU babies are monitored on screens as tubes wind around them. A small cloth marked ‘Mom’s scent” is nearby. Who will they become once they overcome the challenge of being born?

Small precious lives that fit into your hand.

Tubes, monitors and incubators fill the room with a mechanical whirring sound. Each soul is nourished by the passionate emotional and spiritual care of the providers who watch over them, marking their progress. The dedication of this unique staff is palpable.

“It gets a hold of you and never let’s go”

“Usually people who have worked here don’t go anywhere else.”

The hospital is a huge place but at its center are these tiny infants born before their time who make it through thanks to this amazing staff.

“I am here to speak for the ones that can’t speak for themselves.”