More Than A Day On The Calendar: What the NICU Reunion Means To Families

Each year, the Cook Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) hosts a reunion for patients and families who were cared for in our NICU. It's an opportunity for the care teams and families to connect and see how much these babies have grown since their time at Cook Children's. The Randolph family shares their experience at and excitement for the NICU reunion as they encourage other NICU families to join in on the fun.

More Than Just A Day

"The Cook Children’s NICU annual reunion is so much more than a date on the calendar for our family, it's stepping back into the place that forever shaped our story.

As first-time parents, we expected a typical delivery and the joy of bringing home a healthy baby. After a normal pregnancy, we were stunned when our son was born with severe congenital complications and immediately rushed to Cook Children’s for specialized care. In a matter of moments, our world had shifted. What we thought would be a brief hospital stay became 110 days of uncertainty, growth, and learning how to parent in ways we never imagined.

During that time, the NICU became our second home. The nurses, physicians, and therapists were more than caregivers. They became our steady support in the darkest days. They taught us how to care for our fragile baby, encouraged us through setbacks, and rejoiced with us over every bit of progress. We never felt alone, they were there when we felt like we couldn’t do it on our own.

Because of that, coming back each year means everything. We reconnect with the staff who once worked patiently with him, and now they get to see him walking, running, and talking. Watching their reactions to the little boy he has become is something we treasure deeply. The place that once held so much fear now holds overwhelming gratitude.

We are grateful for the opportunity to return each year to not only celebrate how far our son, and so many other children and parents have come, but also to honor the incredible work the NICU staff does to help children like McLane. We cannot thank the NICU team enough." 

- The Randolph Family (Parker, Isabella and McLane)

NICU Reunion 2026

This year, the reunion will be on Sunday, May 3rd from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at the outside lawn in front of Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth. If you have any questions about the reunion, please reach out to Lauren Austin at nicureunion@cookchildrens.org.