The multidisciplinary NICU Team at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center saves and changes lives with new beginnings beyond the usual miracles you might already expect. During Baby L’s NICU stay, we got to know her and her family who, in addition to experiencing an unexpected premature delivery, was amidst another harrowing life experience. During their pregnancy, Baby L’s mom and dad were detained at the Texas/Mexico border. Around the time that Mom’s labor was imminent, she was transported to Los Angeles by the state of Texas with her mother-in-law, leaving father of the baby behind in detainment. Mom delivered at PSJMC in June and Baby L was admitted to our NICU. As you can imagine, the NICU can be a scary experience already, let alone doing it in a new city/country, with little to no support or resources, and a language barrier. The PSJMC NICU Team saw this family’s fear and chose to go above and beyond, wrapping them into our Providence family wholeheartedly.

Steadfast in serving all, especially the poor & vulnerable- various members of the NICU team collaborated and contributed to finding resources like a car seat, crib, clothes, lodging, meal vouchers, additional funds, and more to support Baby L and her family. One team member even helped to connect the family with legal immigration support, who eventually was able to reunite the father with his family, and he was finally able to meet his brand-new baby girl in Burbank, CA. As I watched and supported my colleagues go beyond their traditional roles to create the foundation and building blocks for this family who has been through so much, I couldn’t help but think of the incredible impact they have made on this child’s life. Living our values is something we all strive to do every day.

The compassion, dignity, justice, excellence, and integrity are always shown by this NICU team, but in this moment, it was especially exemplary. Not only did this project impact one life, but it also spurred a new initiative to collect and store resources (e.g. baby clothes, blankets, car seats, etc.) for future families in need, making a difference in the lives of patients and families in our community (and potentially the world) for years to come. I am so honored and proud to call this inspirational team not just my colleagues but my friends. They are a true DAISY Team.