Jay and Dao Nguyen joke that they know every inch of the neonatal intensive care unit at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s at Sunshine Hospital.
The parents of Trina and Leo have already spent 15 weeks inside this special space on Level 5. And they’re still counting.
“We’re very comfortable here,” says mum Dao. “We feel like we know everyone. We feel like we know all the sections, all the rooms, all the places to go.”
Baby Leo was born on September 4, at 29 weeks and 6 days, weighing 1196g.
He was immediately transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Newborn Services – just like his sister in 2022.
Trina, now a healthy and energetic two-year-old, had arrived even earlier than her little brother, at 29 weeks, weighing just 940g. She spent the first 12 weeks of her life at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s.
“With Leo now, it helps that we’ve been here before,” Dao says. “We know what it feels like to have your baby (in hospital). We know that they are in very safe hands. Everyone here is beautiful.”
The Nguyen family’s second stay comes at an extra special time for the NICU – the fifth anniversary of its opening.
Ever since it was officially opened by then Premier Daniel Andrews in September 2019, the dedicated NICU team has cared for 1128 precious patients.
Newborn Services Nurse Unit Manager Michelle Ryan says the opening was a very significant milestone for Melbourne’s western suburbs.
"Prior to the NICU's opening, families often had to travel long distances for neonatal care, which could be stressful and time-consuming,” she says. “It provided local access to specialised medical services for premature and critically ill newborns.
“Having a NICU at Joan Kirner means that babies born here receive timely interventions, which can significantly improve their health outcomes and reduce complications associated with premature birth.”
The highly specialised NICU care is possible thanks to an extraordinary network of Western Health clinicians.
“The NICU relies on a multidisciplinary team, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie and shared purpose among doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals,” says Michelle. “(Clinicians from) speech pathology, occupational therapy, psychology, physiotherapy, social work, lactation consultants, spiritual care, nutrition, ophthalmology and cardiology all assist in consulting on our patient population.”
Michelle says the NICU is an incredibly rewarding place to work.
"The NICU is a place of hope, where staff witness incredible stories of survival and resilience, reminding them of the strength of the human spirit,” she says.
“Staff have the opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of vulnerable newborns and their families. Every day, they witness remarkable progress and resilience. In NICU we often celebrate small victories, such as a baby’s first breath without assistance or going home after treatment, creating a positive and uplifting atmosphere.”
Acting Newborn Services Operations Manager Adam Woods said he was “extremely proud of the entire NICU team”.
“The staff are extremely passionate about what they do,” he says.
“They are providing world-class care to families in the West and they all work very hard to achieve this. This is only the beginning for the growth of our NICU, and I am very excited to watch it all unfold over the coming years.”
