Queens NICU nurse draws on personal experience to help newborns

In September, which is recognized as NICU Awareness Month, a nurse at Flushing Hospital in Queens draws on her personal experiences to provide care for premature infants. Christine Parasram, who was born prematurely at the same hospital and later had her own daughter in the NICU, has been working there since 2018. Her unique background as both a NICU graduate and a NICU parent allows her to empathize deeply with the families she serves. She emphasizes the importance of emotional support for parents, who often find the NICU environment overwhelming. Parasram's role involves not only monitoring the health of newborns but also offering reassurance to parents during a challenging time. She recalls her own experience of waiting a week to hold her daughter, which fuels her commitment to providing compassionate care. Her daughter, who weighed just 2 lbs., 2 oz. at birth, is now a thriving 10-year-old, showcasing the miracles that can occur in the NICU. The nursing director, Maria D. Smilios, highlights that the unit admits up to 50 babies each month, ranging from those born at just 23 weeks of gestation to full-term infants facing complications. The nurses in the NICU play a crucial role in extending parental love and attention, often becoming a source of strength for families navigating this difficult journey. Parasram reflects on the emotional spectrum present in the NICU, where joy and sadness coexist. She believes that witnessing the daily miracles of recovery and growth in these vulnerable infants is what makes her work so rewarding and meaningful.