McMaster Children’s Hospital’s NICU celebrates 50 years of hope

“Miracles happen here,” says Linda Romasz, retired NICU staff member.

In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of McMaster Children’s Hospital, home to the country’s largest NICU, the manifestation of miracles is a testament to the remarkable healthcare provided within its walls.

In its 50th year of service, past and present staff physicians, learners, and families gathered on November 17, World Prematurity Day, at McMaster’s Farncombe Atrium to reflect on the NICU’s journey and honour the unwavering compassion and care that McMaster’s NICU has provided to babies and their families.

“We are a children’s hospital, and this is a birthday party,” said Bruce Squires, President of McMaster Children’s Hospital, as he opened the event by leading attendees through a chorus of “Happy Birthday” that spilled into the hospital halls.

Squires then welcomed keynote speaker Dr. John Zupancic, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and a former McMaster trainee whose research aims to enhance the efficient use of limited resources to improve the health of newborns.

Zupancic reflected on his experience as a McMaster student and shared the concepts he learned at McMaster in his presentation titled, “Four Words from McMaster for a Journey to Slow Medicine.”

The four words: holism, skepticism, citizenship, and quest represent ideas he believes can address the current challenges in the healthcare system.

Celebrations continued with presentations from current NICU physicians, researchers, educators, families, and a former NICU patient, Amanda McInnis.

“One of the doctors, Dr. Bosco Paes, told my dad when I was laying in the NICU, that ‘she’s fighting and we’re going to fight with her’,” she said. “What we’ve heard from the doctors here today is that’s what they really do; they’re here fighting for these tiny little babies, which I think is absolutely amazing.”

Watch Amanda McInnis and neonatologist, Dr. Jennifer Twiss’s full interview with CHCH here.

Closing off the presentations was Dr. Saroj Saigal, professor emeritus in the Department of Pediatrics, and fondly acknowledged as the godmother of Neonatology at McMaster Children’s Hospital.

She shared the history of the NICU, including the development of the Neonatal Follow-up Clinic and the longitudinal research study she led exploring the experience of preemies into adulthood.  Saigal also paid tribute to the NICU’s founders, the late Dr. Jack Sinclair and Dr. Alvin Zipursky.

“There is no other field in medicine that has made such significant advances in the survival and care of patients than Neonatology,” she said.

Following the presentations, attendees enjoyed a reception commemorating the 50th anniversary of the NICU and World Prematurity Day.