Henry Mayo Hospital honored the “graduates” of their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Saturday with slides, bubbles and reunions with hospital staff.

At the Dr. Richard H. Rioux Memorial Park in Stevenson Ranch, families received a cowboy welcome with a western themed festival to celebrate the babies who started off life in the NICU.

“It is wonderful to see these families and reconnect,” said Sally Mcgann, Director of Maternal Child Services.

The 6th annual “graduation” celebrates six generations of families, totalling almost 600 people, who have been in the Henry Mayo NICU.

Newborn babies are admitted to the NICU when they require intensive medical care, which can happen for a number of reasons but often because the baby is born premature or has trouble breathing, said McGann.

“They are often premature, but we do also care for full term babies,” she said. “Sometimes the mother has an infection, there are many reasons why a baby may need the NICU.”

The NICU is staffed by a team of doctors and nurses who take care of the infants until they are healthy enough to go home.

“We have been with the babies from birth to now as old as six.” she said. “It is great to see how they have grown and how their families have changed.”

The Henry Mayo NICU not only takes care of the baby, but they also take a holistic approach to manage the health of the entire family.

“It is great to see how we have made an impact at a very vulnerable time, not only physically for the babies but mentally for the parents as well.” said Elizabeth Tarantini, prenatal social worker.

The best part of the event for the staff was seeing the “fruits of their labor,” after caring for the children from such a young age, said Tarantini.

“We make really strong bonds over time,” she said, “We get to know them, we become a family.”

A doctor from Philadelphia joined the NICU “family” when she gave birth at Henry Mayo — two months early — while in town for a medical conference.

“My husband flew in from Philadelphia when he heard the news,” said Ahmara Ross, the mother. “It soon came apparent that we are having our baby in California.”

The new mother was in a state of shock when she found out the birth was moved up so early due to a medical emergency,

“The doctor came in and said, ‘This is happening today, this is his birthday,’” Ross said. “I remember thinking, ‘The birthday is supposed to be in October, what is going to happen to my son when he is born two months early?’”

The mother was quickly calmed when the baby was moved to the NICU.

“It was difficult giving away my child to someone else,” she said. “The nurses and doctors were wonderful, they got me through it.”

The medical director for the neonatal unit spoke about the “strides” the department has made, noting a recent paper that was published.

“We were the first to use something for low blood sugar without bringing them to the NICU or using IV fluids,” said Dr. Sukshma Sreepathi.

The director quoted Dr. Seuss saying “A person is a person no matter how small.”

“Every person that passes through our NICU is special to us,” she said. “They leave us with great impersonation that teach us great lessons to carry us forward.”

Sreepathi spoke about the baby’s “innate” willingness to survive, and to not judge a book by its cover.

“One thing I have learned by these small babies is to not judge them on their size,” she said. “The smaller they are, the stronger they are.”

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.