Caitlin Whyte (Host): Welcome to In Their Words, brought to you by UPMC in Central PA and the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation. The UPMC Pinnacle Foundation was proud to support the 2025 UPMC in Central PA NICU reunion, bringing together families whose little ones spent time in the NICU in 2022. This joyful day at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts was filled with laughter, crafts, photo booths, and heartfelt moments. But most importantly, it was a chance for families to reunite with the nurses and doctors who had guided them through some of their most vulnerable days.

In this episode, you'll hear directly from patients and families as they reflect on their NICU journeys, share their gratitude and reconnect with the providers who made such a lasting impact.

Regina Adams: So, I'm Regina Adams, and this is Kane Garcia. He was in the NICU for 30 days, I believe. Yeah, 30 days. I felt that he was safe at all times and they educated me every step of the way, which I really appreciated, because his journey was different from what I've ever experienced in my life. Thank you for everything that you've done for me and my family, for keeping the little ones safe and to educate every family, because every story is different and giving us the confidence that our little ones are going to be set for life.

Manisha: Okay. So, my name is Manisha. And this is Matty.

Guest 1: Little Matt.

Manisha: He was in the NICU for 80 days. So, we just want to say thank you to the staff at UPMC. They were really helpful. All the nurses were super nice and they were there and comforting, especially at a vulnerable time. Anything we needed, they were always available. They took extremely good care of my son. We just don't have enough thanks in our mouths to say thank you to them. The best NICU, all the nurses, the doctors, everyone was great. Yeah, Brittany was one of our favorites. But we don't want to single anyone out because they all were great, but she was very special to us and still is. Say thank you.

Guest 1: Look at the camera and say thank you. Say thank you.

Manisha: Thank you.

Devin: This is Khaleesi. This is Khaleeya. I'm Devin.

Jose: Jose.

Devin: And we would like to say thank you to the NICU nurses at the Women's Place at Heart of Lancaster in Lititz. Khaleeya was in for three and a half weeks and Khaleesi was in for two and a half weeks. So, we had great nurses. Can you give a thumbs up?

Jose: Thumbs up.

Devin: Yay. Thumbs up. Good job.

Tara: Hi, I'm Tara. This is Rowan. We just wanted to say thank you for taking such phenomenal care of our mini best friend during his two-week NICU stay. We are forever grateful. Thank you.

Natasha: Hi, I am Natasha, and this is Nova. She was born in March of 2022. She was one pound and four ounces. And I just want to say thank you to all the UPMC NICU nurses and doctors there. This was my second go around and it was nothing short of amazing like the first time. You guys were there to support my family each time. And I just want to let you guys know, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We really appreciate all that you do. We couldn't thank you enough. Go kissy. Say it again. Say thank you.

Nova: Thank you.

Guest 2: We spent 117 days in the NICU in 2022, and all we have to say is thank you for all of the amazing work that you did with our son to set him up for a happy and healthy life. So, we remember Dylan right over there, of course. We remember Dr. Johnson and Soji and Abba. And I mean, like Dr. Matthews, yeah. Just so many nurses. Like too many, really.

Guest 3: Cora.

Guest 2: Cora. Yeah. Everybody. And physical therapy. Janine.

Guest 3: And Joanne. And physical therapy, occupational therapy.

Guest 2: Yeah. Can you wave and say thank you at the camera?

Guest 4: Thank you!

David: David and Kendra, Adam John, AJ, two months, little, 64 days. Just from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for our little one. He's awesome. So, thank you.

Kendra: I remember Shannon a lot. I think her last name was Miller.

Adam John: Mommy, I want a star.

Kendra: Yes, we're going to get you the star, bubba. Yeah. Shannon was our daytime nurse that was there often, and she was really great because she really gave us like a lot of details and background of what was going on and what to expect with everything. So, it made it more comforting.

Lauren Kaufman: I'm Lauren Kaufman. This is my husband, Brandon. This is my daughter, Eleanor. And our daughter, Eleanor, was born in December of 2022. She was born a little early and the Harrisburg NICU took fantastic care of her, growing her until was ready to come home. We couldn't say enough to thank the hospital for everything they've done and the NICU for everything they did to bring her home and keep her safe for us.

So, yeah, one of the nurses is here, Dylan is here. Dylan helped with keeping our spirits up. It was December, around the holidays, right around Christmas. And we made the first crafts, we would eventually make a lot of crafts with Ellie. And made Christmas cards for our family with the smallest little foot. We made some Christmas cards and our little first Christmas ornament that we still have on the tree for our little girl. So, it was absolutely wonderful. Can you say thank you?

Eleanor: Thank you.

Guest 5: Zara. She was in the NICU for about five to six weeks. She was supposed to be in the NICU for about three months. She was a 29-weeker. She did extremely well. We had amazing nurses. Zara was also featured in an interview, while she was in the NICU. You can check UPMC's website. So, we want to just thank all of the nurses. I remember a Tatiana, I believe. And she was excellent. The doctors were excellent and we just want to thank you all for everything. And Miss Sheila, thank you for all the great food and everything.

Guest 6: Thank you.

Dylan: I'm Dylan. I have been a NICU nurse at the Harrisburg Hospital NICU for the last four years. It's so exciting to see all the little babies. Well, they're not little anymore, but it's so exciting to see them growing and thriving and being able to enjoy life outside the NICU. They spent so much time, and the parents too spent so much time, you know, coming into the NICU. And just seeing them outside of that stressful environment is very fulfilling and just makes my heart happy. It's hard to think that the actual patient is never going to remember you, but their parents are going to remember you. So, it's a little overwhelming, but it's filled with a lot of gratitude. And I'm just thankful that I can be there for them in a time where they need someone like me.

Paul Zander: Hi, I am Paul Zander. My daughter, Arden Zander, was at UPMC in Harrisburg. Thank you to the nurses at UPMC, Harrisburg and all the staff for helping our family out.

Ron: Hey, everyone. This is Owen. I'm Ron. That's Julia, Harper, and Grayson. They were born in April 2022. We just wanted to say thank you to UPMC for everything.

Julia: And all the nurses.

Ron: Yeah, the nurses were fantastic. Ten days. Nine and 10. Oh, it's really cool to see everybody again growing up and look to be about the same age. That's awesome.

Julia: Can you wave and say thank you?

Ron: Good job.

Guest 7: Monroe. This is Juliet. That's big brother, and mom and dad. The girls did 33 and 35 days.

Guest 8: Thirty-three and thirty-one.

Guest 7: Thirty-three and thirty-one, December to January. So, we got to spend Christmas at the NICU. And we're very grateful for the nurses that were there. It made it much easier than it could have been, and very grateful for the time.

Jeff: So, this is Mila. She's our NICU graduate. I'm Dad, Jeff, and then mom, Bea. And her sister Ellie. Mila, she wasn't very early, but early enough to need time in the NICU. So, she was born at about 33 weeks, spent time just feeding and growing. We were very lucky that she didn't have any major complications or problems. But we were just very grateful for all the staff that took care of her every day, because we were coming and going and I know we appreciated. They showed us how to give her a bath the very first time, because she was so tiny and skinny and had to keep her warm. Because I'm actually a general pediatrician, and so I see, you know, outpatient babies and things all day, every day. But there was a lot that I didn't know because the little things, little tips and things, especially when it comes to feeding that I learned from the time that she spent in the NICU. And so, I'm actually really grateful for that. I have a lot of knowledge now that I can share with my patients that I learned firsthand from helping take care of her. So, thank you. Into the camera, say thank you. Bye-bye!

Bea: Bye!

Caitlin Whyte (Host): Hearing from these families and watching them reunite with the NICU teams who once cared for their babies is a powerful reminder of the deep bonds formed in moments of both challenge and triumph. These stories reflect not only the resilience of our tiniest patients, but also the dedication of providers across UPMC in Central PA. The UPMC Pinnacle Foundation is honored to support events like the NICU reunion, as well as the equipment and programs that make exceptional care possible every day. Because behind every milestone and every smile is a team of compassionate caregivers committed to giving families the very best start. To see the video of these families sharing their words of gratitude, follow the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation or UPMC in Central PA on Facebook. Until next time, this has been In Their Words.