Baptist newborn ICU celebrates “graduates”

Campbell’s NICU journey

When Campbell made his grand entrance into the world, his parents were not exactly expecting him. 

“I was at my office and felt strange. My colleague saw me on my knees and told me to get to the doctor,” said mom Meredith Aden. “While driving, I noticed the pain was coming in consistent intervals. It turned out those were contractions. Campbell was born 20 minutes after I was admitted.” 

Campbell’s father, Mason Lowe, was traveling for work at the time. He had just landed at the Memphis airport and was talking to his wife when a nurse grabbed the phone and said she had to go. 

“All I knew was our baby had been born. The cab driver heard me and asked who had a baby,” laughed Lowe. “Then the nurse texted me photos of our little boy a few minutes later.”

Campbell was born prematurely on Feb. 19, 2015, at 27 weeks and two days gestation. He weighed just 2 pounds, 2.5 ounces and was 14.5 inches long. He spent more than seven weeks in the Baptist NICU before coming home. 

Feeling the love: NICU staff support

Campbell’s NICU stay included many ups and downs. He had a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), which is a persistent opening between the two major blood vessels leading from the heart. It’s not unusual for this to happen with premature babies, but sometimes requires surgery. Campbell ultimately didn’t need the surgery, but he did have three blood transfusions and a scare about a possible neck infection. He required a ventilator for nine days and had a feeding tube for about five weeks.

Campbell’s parents raved about their experience at Baptist.

“It felt like everyone was rooting for our kid,” said Lowe. “I have a vivid memory of walking in, and a couple of nurses who weren’t even taking care of Campbell that day came over all excited to tell me he’d taken his whole bottle. The emotional support was amazing.”

Aden added, “There were times I called in the middle of the night to check on him, and they were always so happy to talk and give updates. They did a really nice job of encouraging us to take care of him while in the hospital, so we were the ones feeding him and changing his diaper. We loved every chance we got to do kangaroo care, and they made sure we got to do this regularly.”

Kangaroo care is a method of skin-to-skin contact between a parent and baby, and it’s particularly beneficial for premature babies. Because preemies are often taken immediately to the NICU after birth, many mothers don’t get the chance to snuggle their newborn right away, and they may not even get to hold their child for days. Aden wasn’t able to hold Campbell until he was 10 days old.

“It’s not easy to get set up for kangaroo care,” said Aden. “Campbell had all these wires connecting him to machines, and he had a feeding tube and was on oxygen. It’s really kind of a hassle to move a baby, but the nurses always happily helped us with kangaroo care so we could cuddle our baby.”

Baby Campbell came home on April 26, 2015, weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces. He had a home apnea monitor for a short time, but he has no long-term issues related to his prematurity. 

“He did some developmental therapy and physical therapy through Tennessee Early Intervention System, but they kicked him out when he was 2 years old. He was completely caught up,” said Aden. 

All grown up

Today, Campbell is a witty and clever fourth grader. He plays baseball, basketball and football, and he loves Harry Potter and traveling.

2024 NICU Reunion

“We had a great experience at Baptist, and we’ve been very involved ever since,” said Aden.

Campbell and his parents were among 140 families attending the NICU’s reunion on Saturday, Sept.14. The festive event for families and hospital staff celebrated NICU graduates during  NICU Awareness Month with the theme “NICU graduates are out of this world.” Kids enjoyed bounce houses, snow cones, face painting, crafts and visits with P.D. Parrot. They even got to cuddle with some furry friends from 901 Goats. 

NICU staff members hugged grateful parents, welcoming them back and celebrating how far each NICU graduate had come. The Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation provided funding for the reunion, and the event raised almost $5,300 to support the NICU.

Nurses joyfully sing happy birthday to one of their former NICU patients. 

Shannon Rister, RN, has been planning these reunions since 2015 and says it’s a team effort, with many nurses volunteering their free time. 

“Last year, a mom told me it feels more like a family reunion. Her words meant so much to me because it proved we had done our job to make them feel at home in the NICU. We love these babies and their families, and we really do think of them like family.”

For more information about the NICU at Baptist Children’s Hospital, please click here.