Every month, Kyte Baby makes a donation to a different neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) through our Nominate-a-NICU initiative. NICUs are specialized units within hospitals that provide intensive care to newborns who are critically ill, born prematurely, or have other health conditions that require special care. With nearly 100 nominations from our Kyte community members, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has been chosen as our NICU of the month. Our donation will go toward providing essential items to help care for these smallest and sickest babies and keep them comfortable.
The NICU at UAMS is designed and equipped to care for infants as early as 22 weeks of gestation. Its team members include specially trained physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, dietitians, pharmacists, therapy providers, and others who are all dedicated to providing the best care for their patients and their families. In order to improve outcomes, neonatologists, pediatricians, and fellows at UAMS are engaged in basic science and clinic research projects, and are able to offer patients the most advanced technology and evidence-based approaches to care.
As the largest private room NICU in the state of Arkansas, the UAMS NICU has 58 separate private rooms, including dedicated twin rooms. The unit has space for up to 64 babies and has an average daily census of around 60 babies. Parents can sleep in the room with their infants, and when not physically present, can still keep an eye on their babies through the Angel Eye camera provided in every room. This technology allows parents to see their child, receive communication updates, as well as view educational materials on any device with an internet connection.
Although the private rooms do not accommodate children under 18 years old for overnight stays, the Ronald McDonald Family Room at UAMS features four overnight rooms for parents and siblings of patients in the NICU. This 2020 addition to the hospital offers 2,000 square feet of space for families with older siblings to feel at home and connect with other NICU families.
A NICU stay is hard on families, both physically and emotionally. Thanks to the excellent level of care that UAMS provides, these critically ill babies have the best shot at a normal life after a challenging beginning. UAMS received over 90 nominations through our Nominate-a-NICU page, with many of our community members sharing stories of how the hospital went above and beyond to care for their infants.
“They gave me hope for my PPROM baby when nobody else did. She was born at 29 weeks and stayed for 74 days. They held me when I cried. They celebrated our milestones, big and small. They were home and family for well over 3 months for me.”
-Ashley C.
“In 2019, I was admitted into the hospital due to complications with my pregnancy. The hospital tried to keep me stable and my son in-utero to grow and have a better outcome. Within a week, I took a turn for the worse. After a very traumatic birth, the UAMS NICU became our home for the next month. The nurses taught me how to use a breast pump, educated us on everything happening in the NICU, and more. They comforted me during times of hard emotions, took pictures of our family, made us smile, and cheered alongside us as our son met his milestones. It has been over 5 years now since our NICU experience, and it will forever leave an impact on our lives.”
-Joyce G.
“We spent 21 long days here—almost the first month of our twins’ lives. I experienced PPROM at 29 weeks due to complications from a life-saving fetal surgery at 20 weeks for TTTS and TAPS. Both my twins were in heart failure, but managed to overcome the disease and make it earthside. This NICU was not only our home for a while, but the staff also went out of their way to visit me weekly in the 35 days I was inpatient to assure me that my twins would be in the best of hands after they were born. I couldn't be more grateful for everything they did.”
-Ashley F.
“I have been a nurse at the UAMS NICU for 13 years. I give direct care to the tiniest, mightiest, and bravest patients there are. I educate, listen, and support the families of these babies. It is absolutely the best job in the world. Our NICU thrives on donations because it is a state hospital that does not receive funding for extras. However, we know the “extras” are what bring comfort to our patients and families. We would not be able to have programs to help families with food or give comfort with beautiful soft baby clothing and happy, bright bedding without the aid of the community and those who also love our UAMS NICU.”
-Katie R.
“My son was born 9 weeks premature, and the doctors and nurses in this NICU not only saved his life but provided nothing but the absolute best care. I will never forget the 2 months we spent there.”
-Brittany C.
If you would like to donate to the NICU at UAMS, you may contribute here.
If you would like us to make a donation to a NICU of your choice, you may submit a nomination along with your story on our Nominate-a-NICU page.
