NICU babies reunited with doctors who saved their lives

IDAHO FALLS - Nathan Davies is a miraculous miracle. He entered the world after only spending 22.6 weeks in the womb, making him Idaho's youngest ever surviving resuscitated baby.

"He makes me so happy. Makes me cry. Just to think about it, I could cry every day if I thought about it too much. He's such a blessing and a miracle, a miracle we thought we'd never ever ever have," said Melanie Davies, mother of Nathan.

He's alive today thanks in part to Doctor Travis Anschutz, who has helped numerous babies in the Neonatal intensive-care unit at EIRMC.

"it's actually a little bit over whelming. When we see them, especially the very premature baby. We have babies that are born less than a pound. The size of your hand. To be able to take care of them and going through struggles in the NICU. And get them to that discharge point. Typically they are fairly small. To be able to come back and see them actually growing and developing and looking like every day children on the street. It's fantastic," said Dr. Travis Anschutz, a Neonatologist at EIRMC.

Today is a reunion for any family who has had a baby go through NICU.

"(It) gives the families a chance to talk to one another tell each others story, hear from someone else who has gone through the same thing," said Dr. Anschutz.

"We wanted to the nurses and doctors in many ways really saved her life. Who made it possible for us to be so happy to have her," said Brandt Pullins, father of a NICU baby

And if you think having one baby in NICU is stressful, imagine having three. That's the case for Angie Hunter who had triplets.

"We have pictures of them in the NICU, and how small they were with all their feeding tubes, and looking at them now you'd never know they were the same kids," said Angie Hunter, who had triplets.

These boys were in the struggle together, this picture shows the arm reach of brotherly love.

Many of the families I spoke with told me they'll be coming back to this reunion to express a lifetime of gratitude.

"We'll be here every year," said Hunter.

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News & Politics

Tags:

• NICU
• Neonatal
• intensive-care
• unit
• EIRMC
• babies
• doctors
• reunion