Celebrating Tiny Miracles with a Festive Picnic for NICU Graduates

Visiting a child in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a heart-wrenching experience no parent wants to endure. At Valley Children’s, we work tirelessly to make sure every newborn has a fighting chance – and to celebrate every child that graduates and goes on to live a healthy life.

That’s the spirit behind the NICU Graduate Picnic – and for the first time since 2019, Valley Children’s staff and volunteers gathered for a picnic and celebration with prior NICU patients and their loved ones.

More than 500 people came and enjoyed food and family-friendly activities to mark a major milestone in their healthcare journeys. Among them were Mahria, her parents and her sister, Maharazi. This family is one of many who have overcome the challenges and emotional roller coaster of caring for a premature child with the outstanding care and support available at Valley Children’s.

A Story to Celebrate

Mahria arrived at Valley Children’s NICU on March 26, 2023, after being born prematurely at just 25.5 weeks gestation, weighing only 1.6 pounds. She was kept in an isolette until she was able to self-regulate her body temperature, and over her 81-day NICU stay, she improved significantly and grew stronger under the expert care of Valley Children’s NICU doctors and nurses. Mahria’s family visited daily and received support and education from the hospital’s NICU, as well.

Mahria was released in June and celebrated her 6-month birthday on September 26 with her family and we were thrilled to see her and her family at the Graduate Picnic! She’s doing very well and loves to play with her big sister, who always makes her laugh. As for Mahria’s parents, they are eternally grateful to Valley Children’s for the personalized, expert care their baby received.

“The nurses at Valley Children’s gave me the strength to hold my fragile little girl and they have been our greatest supporters every step of the way. I will forever be thankful for them.”

Manuel, Mariah’s father

Her mother added, “For our entire stay, the care at Valley Children’s went beyond Mahria and extended to our entire family.”

Life-Saving Care for the Central Valley’s Children

Ranked as one of the best children’s hospitals in Neonatology by U.S. News & World Report, Valley Children’s NICU offers the most comprehensive array of services for critically ill newborns. Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera provides Level IV NICU support – the highest level of care available in the entire region. Valley Children’s also owns and operates NICUs in Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, Mercy Medical Center in Merced and Adventist Health Hanford, and our transport team completes about 800 transports for neonatal patients every year.

“Some babies are born as small as 300 grams and they still have a fighting chance in this world,” said Neonatal Outreach Coordinator Jennifer Morrison. “We celebrate every tiny miracle.”