What could be more stressful than having your baby wind up in the NICU? Most parents don't have to find out. However, when the NICU becomes part of your daily routine
, you just have to learn to make adjustments.
The parents of babies in the NICU at Citrus Valley Medical Center come and go throughout the day - visiting during their lunch break from work or spending the entire day in the waiting room taking turns visiting the baby while the other parent watches the other children in the waiting room.
Now, picture having to worry about a sick baby while spending hours in a drab waiting room with nothing to keep the other children occupied. This is what the parents at Citrus Valley have had to do. They didn't question their environment. They didn't complain about the waiting room (see "before" photo). They simply wanted to bring their baby home.
Two days, some paint, donated toys and books, and the dedicated help of volunteers for the Room to Heal Foundation brought that drab waiting room to life. The room was converted into a train-theme playroom that allows the siblings of NICU babies to pass the time in a cheerful environment. There are train cars that line the walls of the room with animals popping out of cars. The wheels of the train spin, which adds another playful dimension to the room. There are even two cage-cars with lions and tigers and bears ... oh my! Each car has two plastic picture holders that will allow the NICU to place pictures of their babies on the train.
The entrance to the room is flanked by tiles with handprints of babies that have been in Citrus Valley's NICU. It is a sweet and loving tribute to some of the brave little ones who have been there and are now at home with their families. The Citrus Valley logo welcomes families to the NICU waiting room.
Hopefully, this minor change can help to alleviate some small fraction of stress that these parents have to face every single day that their baby is there. While the transformation can't help the babies heal any faster, we hope that the makeover has helped to lighten the mood in the NICU.
See the "after" pictures of the NICU waiting room to heal!
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