Silver Cross Hospital Celebrates NICU Graduates at Third Annual Reunion During NICU Awareness Month

Silver Cross Hospital Celebrates NICU Graduates at Third Annual Reunion During NICU Awareness Month

More than 200 children and their families gather for Silver Cross Hospital's third annual reunion to celebrate the strength, hope and milestones achieved.

Silver Cross Hospital hosted more than 200 graduates of its Amy, Matthew and Jay Vana Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and their families Sept. 20 to celebrate milestones, memories and their remarkable journeys during the hospital's third annual NICU reunion.

Graduates, parents and siblings of the NICU classes of 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 came together at KidsWork Children's Museum in New Lenox for a fun-filled circus-themed event. The event was generously sponsored by PNC Bank and the Village of New Lenox.

Held during NICU Awareness Month, the reunion highlighted the life-changing impact of specialized neonatal care and celebrated the strength and resilience of premature and critically ill newborns who received care in the hospital's NICU.

Also joining the celebration were dozens of NICU nurses, staff members, doctors and hospital leadership who joyfully reconnected with the newborns and families they helped care for during some of the most challenging moments of their lives.

"It's especially fitting that we celebrate these success stories during NICU Awareness Month," said Michael Mutterer, RN, MA, LCPC, CADA, LHNA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Silver Cross Hospital. "This month shines a light on the extraordinary care provided to our most vulnerable patients and the strength of the families who support them. Seeing so many former NICU graduates healthy and thriving is a powerful reminder of the difference this specialized care makes. Every child here represents a story of strength, hope and perseverance, and we are honored to be part of their journey."

The Amy, Matthew and Jay Vana NICU at Silver Cross Hospital is Will County's first and only NICU. Opened in July 2022, it's designed to care for premature and seriously ill newborns close to home, allowing families to receive highly specialized neonatal care without having to travel far from their support systems.

"For many parents, their NICU journey begins with uncertainty and fear," said Dr. Corryn Greenwood, Medical Director of the Amy, Matthew and Jay Vana NICU and neonatologist on staff at Silver Cross Hospital. "This reunion is a celebration of our patients' resilience, the dedication of their families and the teamwork of the NICU caregivers who supported them every step of the way."

Throughout the afternoon, families enjoyed museum activities, refreshments, photos and opportunities to reconnect with the team who played an important role in their children's early lives.

"One of the greatest joys for our team is seeing these children return not as patients, but as thriving infants and toddlers," Mutterer added. "Their success is the reason we are so passionate about providing exceptional neonatal care close to home."

Since its opening, the hospital's NICU has cared for more than 1,000 newborns.

About the Amy, Matthew & Jay Vana Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

To ensure babies with special needs can receive all the care they need under one roof - and keep families together close to home - Silver Cross Hospital is home to the Amy, Matthew & Jay Vana Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Adjacent to the hospital's Women and Infant Services Birthing Center, the NICU features 24 private, single-family rooms. It's modeled after the NICU of Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and boasts the very latest technology to care for infants:

Born before 30 weeks' gestational age

• Born with birth defects, infections, breathing difficulties or other high-risk conditions
• Born at other nearby hospitals who need highly specialized care

For more information, visit silvercross.org

Check out the Photo Album on Facebook!