Hundreds of people gathered in Santa Maria with their loved ones at a one-of-a-kind reunion Saturday.
Graduates of the Marian's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, many of whom weighed less than three pounds when they were born, reunited with those who cared for them during their earliest and most fragile days.
The celebration included food games, crafts, photo booths and more.
“Today’s a special day. It's our NICU reunion,” said Dr. Rocky Greer, a Neonatologist at Marian Regional Medical Center. “Every year we invite all the families we’ve cared for to come back and have a day to celebrate the hardship of being in the hospital and the victory of being able to take their babies home.”
Greer adds that this is their first event after a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health officials said there are more than 4,500 graduates since they opened the NICU.
