Treating infants in the neonatal intensive care unit means caring for babies who are the “sickest of the sick” and the “tiniest of the tiny.”

For the doctors, nurses and others treating little patients at such a fragile stage, seeing those kids grow up is a chance to celebrate.

“Sometimes, we only get a very short snapshot of when they are born until they first go home,” said Jennifer Kloesz, division chief for newborn medicine at UPMC.

That’s one reason she looks forward to the annual NICU reunion at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium for former patients at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

“We can see the kids getting bigger and doing well and seeing their families, it just brings so much meaning to our world,” Kloesz said.

The 20th annual reunion held Sunday brought together more than 100 families — about 400 people, all told — to the Highland Park destination for games, raffles, entertainment and a chance for families to spend time together while strolling through the zoo.

“We saw babies who were treated 20 years ago who now are in high school or getting ready for college,” Kloesz said. “And some babies here just graduated from the NICU a few weeks ago.”

During her first pregnancy, Julia Hubert of Franklin Park went into labor at 31 weeks.

“I didn’t even know I was in labor,” she said. Her daughter, Avery, spent 21 days in the NICU. A couple of years later, Hubert went into early labor with her son Easton, who spent 12 days in the unit. Her third child, Isla, was born premature but able to go home right away. The kids are 7, 5 and 1, respectively.

Hubert works with the Parent Advisory Council to help support other families who find themselves suddenly needing care.

“We want them to know they’re not alone,” Hubert said. “Everybody’s journey is different. Some babies just need to be there for a day or two. Some longer.

“This event is a chance to let other parents know that we’re in this with them. That’s what really got me through. I want to give back and help these other families.”

More than 10,000 babies are born at UPMC Magee-Womens each year. The neonatal intensive care unit is one of the largest in Pennsylvania, treating more than 1,500 severely or critically ill babies a year, according to the Pittsburgh-based health care giant.

“It’s really a reunion and celebration of survival,” said Denise Wickline, event manager for the Magee-Womens Research Institute Foundation, which organized the reunion.

The event also serves as a fundraiser for the Parent Advisory Council, which hosts monthly socials for families and other means of emotional support.

“It’s a helping hand for anyone who finds themselves in the NICU for the first time,” she said.

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