Родители и персонал отделения неонатологии собрались в больнице Виктории для ежегодной встречи

Victoria General welcomes families looking to give thanks for life-saving care Published 5:00 pm Thursday, August 13, 2026 Families from up and down the Island flocked to Victoria General on Thursday to celebrate the team of hard-working nurses who make the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) tick. “[Nurses] bring compassion, expertise and dedication to their work every single day,” said Danielle Mulligan, Victoria Hospitals Foundation’s manager of events and annual giving. “Many of you are holding the product of that journey, and lives are changed in the NICU.” NICU reunions have taken place at Victoria General annually for 39 years, this time welcoming dozens between 10 a.m. and noon, just a short walk from the Emergency Department. “Families return to reconnect with caregivers who have supported them through some of the most important moments in their lives, and it’s a wonderful reminder of the lasting impact that these relationships have on families and community,” added Mulligan. One of the parents there to celebrate the unit and its dedicated staff was Saanich resident and mom of one Susanna Yee. “The nurses are amazing,” she said. “They actually support not just the babies but the parents. They will do whatever they can to help parents get you ready to take your baby home.” Yee’s now 11-year-old son Anders was born prematurely at 33 weeks and spent the subsequent five weeks in the NICU receiving personalized care that helped ensure he could go on to lead a healthy, happy life. “Just coming back and seeing the nurses is amazing after 11 years,” said Yee, adding NICU staff at the events often remember her son. “It shows the dedication that those nurses are so committed to NICU and premature babies that they stay.” Also at the picnic, mom and dad Leila and Tobias Anderton explained how helpful and caring the nurses were when their twin daughters Evelyn and Alyssa ended up at the NICU five weeks premature. “They were amazing – just absolutely amazing – especially with twins because there’s so many complications that you can go through,” said Tobias. Christina McAskill, an administrative assistant with Island Health and the lead organizer of the event, explained the gathering also benefits nurses who can connect with kids they helped years ago. “The connection is just such a big thing,” she said. “I see it with all the nurses for the most part and some of the doctors as well just how much they love coming out here and being able to connect with the families that they’ve helped years ago.” Of the 3,000 babies born every year at Victoria General, just over 15 per cent spend time in the NICU. The unit also treats youngsters across B.C.