NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Families whose babies spent time in the NICU gathered at TriStar Centennial Medical Center Sunday for a reunion that has become an annual tradition — one that many families return to year after year to maintain relationships with the caregivers who were there during the hardest moments of their lives.
Nikolas and Peyton Carey's son Cooper began his life with a stay in the NICU at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville.
"Whenever he was born, he just decided he didn't want to breathe anymore; he was about six weeks premature," Peyton Carey said.
"I think it's an understatement to say that the NICU was like the hardest part of our entire life. It's just so stressful and scary," Carey said.
Through that difficult time, Cooper's NICU nurse Allie Tobin became a source of support for the family.
"We met Allie maybe the first or second night, and just immediately clicked,” Carey said.
Tobin was Cooper’s night nurse.
The bond between the Careys and Tobin was on full display Sunday, with Tobin stepping away from her shift to attend the reunion.
"I'm working right now. I ran over, I had 15 minutes. I was like, I gotta see my boy," Tobin said.
Alecia and Kyle Underwood's twins also spent significant time in the NICU at TriStar Centennial.
"Charlotte was in the NICU for 40 days and Truett for 34," Alecia Underwood said.
Underwood said the nursing staff made sure she felt connected to her babies even during a period when she was unable to be at their bedsides.
"There was a little bit of time when I got sick and I couldn't come up there and the nurses would write notes to Truett and Charlotte so that I could see them on the camera," Underwood said.
She said the staff celebrated every milestone alongside her family.
"We were celebrating everything, an ounce eaten, a gram gained, and they were celebrating with us," Underwood said.
For the nurses, Sunday's reunion was a reminder of why they do the work they do.
"It's so rewarding to see the impact you've had on this little tiny baby and how they've grown into a full human; it's just the most rewarding experience," said Cassandra Moorad, manager of the NICU at TriStar Centennial Medical Center.
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