It’s found in every steady hand And every brave pursuit.It’s the light that guides the way, A heart so bright and true.

The magic here at Cook Children’s Starts with mothers like you.

From all of us at Cook Children’s, #HappyMothersDay weekend! 

“People are truly choosing to come here,” said Tiffany Pullom, nurse manager for the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Pullom and Suzanne Whitbourne, M.D. neonatologist, noted that many admitted infants arrive through the emergency department. Families often share that they chose the Prosper location specifically for its specialized pediatric reputation and its proximity to home.

“We have a long history of taking care of the babies in our NICU (stemming from our flagship medical center in Fort Worth,” said Dr. Whitbourne, “I think a lot of the reassurance comes from that expertise and that experience that we have, and they can see it day by day.”

The NICU typically cares for and admits infants up to 30 days of age. Since its opening, the unit has primarily treated upper respiratory illnesses and babies transferred from surrounding delivery hospitals.

The NICU features:

• 11 beds: 10 private rooms, including a room for twins.
• Family-centered amenities: On-site laundry services and single rooms equipped with bathrooms, breast pumps, milk warmers, and refrigerators.
• Dedicated nutrition lab and formula mixing.
• Virtual connection: A bedside camera system that allows parents to see their babies via an app when they cannot be at the hospital.

Pullom said these amenities reflect Cook Children’s holistic approach to healthcare.

“We have our lactation services; we have speech therapy. We have a multitude of subspeciality specialists here,” said Pullom. “Anywhere from ear, nose, throat (ENT) to pediatric surgeons, pulmonologist and sleep studies can be done here.”

 The care extends beyond the clinical needs of the infants to support the entire family. Case management and social workers assist parents with logistics, such as adding a newborn to an insurance policy.

“This facility supports families,” said Dr. Whitbourne. Having been with Cook Children’s Health Care System for 24 years, she believes established trust in the community is why families continue to choose their care.

 Related Stories:

• Finding Her Voice: How North Texas’ Newest NICU Helped an East Texas Newborn Heal from Vocal Cord Paralysis
• Cook Children’s Medical Center – Prosper Opens Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Expanding Care for Newborns in One of the Nation’s Fastest Growing Regions
• Cook Children’s Looks to Expand Medical Campus to Keep Up with Unprecedented Growth in Fort Worth

"Our new NICU is a promise to families that their children will receive expert, compassionate care without having to leave their community," said Kevin Greene, President of Cook Children's Medical Center - Prosper. "With each investment we make into our medical center and in our outpatient clinics, we are building a foundation for exceptional pediatric care close to home."

With more than 46,000 new residents moving to Prosper and surrounding cities each year, many of them young families, Cook Children's NICU ensures that even the smallest and most vulnerable patients have access to specialized pediatric care close to home.

“Unlike NICUs in adult hospitals, every physician, nurse and clinical team member here is exclusively trained in pediatrics,” said Jonathan Nedrelow, M.D., neonatologist and Chief Medical Officer at Cook Children’s Health Care System. “This means newborns benefit from care designed specifically for babies and children, backed by the full resources of Cook Children’s nationally recognized pediatric subspecialties.”

We can provide a consultation from a pediatric specialist in more than a dozen subspecialties, onsite. This significantly reduces the need for families to endure stressful transfers to other facilities, likely an hour away in Dallas or Fort Worth.

In the event a baby needs the highest level of medical care, they can be seen via telehealth by physicians at the Level IV NICU at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth, and quickly transferred by Teddy Bear Transport, if necessary.

 We are a multidisciplinary, holistic care team led by Neonatologists. Cook Children's is committed to growing the NICU in both size and capabilities, and currently, our NICU features:

• 10 rooms, including a room for twins (11 beds total)
• Single rooms with bathrooms, breast pumps, milk warmers and refrigerators
• Dedicated nutrition lab and formula mixing
• Bedside camera system so parents can see their babies via an app when they’re away

Designed with families in mind, every detail of the NICU is crafted to support both patients and their loved ones. Bright, whimsical colors and geometric shapes create an uplifting and calming environment, while bold polka dots and playful floor designs serve as a thoughtful wayfinding system, helping parents and visitors navigate the space with ease.

 Every feature, from the oversized rooms that allow for more family members to gather to the extra cabinetry for personal storage, prioritizes comfort, privacy and convenience during what can be a stressful time. Each room provides dedicated sleep spaces for parents, ensuring loved ones can remain close to their baby at all times.

“The opening of this NICU reflects Cook Children’s continued mission to improve the well-being of every child in our care and strengthen the health of our communities,” said Sheralyn Hartline, DNP, RN, CENP, RNC-NIC, Vice President, Nursing and Patient Care at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Prosper. “We’re looking forward to growing further to meet the needs of families.”

The Cook Children’s NICU hosted its annual reunion on Sunday, April 6 to celebrate those connections. Over 490 attendees joined staff members for the rodeo-themed occasion. Everyone dressed in costumes representing their favorite animal, cowboys and cowgirls.  

The event allowed Cook Children’s former patients and their families to reunite with their care teams, including nurses, physicians, therapists, child life specialists and more. The care teams spend a significant amount of time with their NICU patients and their families while they’re admitted to the hospital and they always look forward to seeing how the former patients are doing after they are discharged from the medical center.

The NICU reunion also marks milestones and celebrates the achievements and successes of each patient.

About Cook Children's NICU

Cook Children’s NICU is designated a Level IV NICU, which is the highest level of neonatal care for medically fragile babies. Our NICU offers 106 beds in 99 rooms, including rooms designed for twins, triplets or quadruplets. The unit hit an all-time high of 101 infants in January 2024 – evidence of the North Texas region’s population growth and our medical center’s impact on the community.

We provide advanced technology and access to specialists including cardiology, genetics and neurology. Emergency surgery can be performed without having to leave the unit. The NICU care team also includes lactation specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, respiratory therapists and social workers. Watch a video tour or call 682-885-4375 to speak with a member of our team. 

At the beginning of this year, Catie Pulsifer, RN gave birth to the first set of quadruplets Cook Children’s has seen in over a decade. Catie is a Psychiatric Nurse in the Behavioral Health Unit at Cook Children’s, making this extraordinary event all the more special for everyone at the hospital. 

While she was in the NICU with the quads, Catie would often run into her coworkers in the hallways. 

“They were all so sweet and supportive,” she said. “A lot of them gave us their hand-me-downs and sent things from our registry.”

The Pulsifers' Journey

Catie and her husband Cameron already had two children—3-year-old Allie and 5-year-old Robin—when they decided they wanted a third. On July 4, 2023, the pair discovered they were finally expecting.

When Catie went to her first ultrasound, her scan showed not one, not two—but five gestational sacs. Cameron was out of town on a work trip during the appointment, so Catie had him on speakerphone when the doctor broke the news. 

“It was definitely silent on the other end of the line,” Cameron laughs. “We had a feeling we might be dealing with multiples, but we did not anticipate that many.”

After the initial shock passed, the couple was unbelievably excited. Their doctor, however, warned them of the high risk of miscarriage with that many embryos. At around 10 weeks gestation, they lost one of the babies. 

“It was really tough, but I'd had a miscarriage the year before and I think that prepared my heart to know what it felt like,” Catie said. “At the same time, we were just glad we had four that were doing so well.”

Week after week, Catie, Cameron and their doctors continued to monitor the quads, who just kept growing and getting stronger.   

“We celebrated every week that passed,” Catie said. “When I started getting really big and feeling them kick, that was really exciting.”

The Quads Make Their Entrance

Catie was admitted to Texas Health Harris Methodist at 26 weeks gestation so that she and the babies could be under constant observation until she gave birth. 

“That's when it really set in, and I was like, it’s happening! We’re having four kids,” she said.

On Jan. 8, at 30 weeks and one day, the quadruplets made their debut. James was born first, followed by Hannah—the only girl of the four. Next came Mark, thenLogan, the tiniest of them all, came last. All of the babies were born at least two pounds or bigger—a feat Catie had hoped for.  

After they were born, the quads were transported to the Cook Children’s NICU, where they were kept together in a suite known as “The Quad Room.” With a rotating group of nurses assigned to them alone, the four received round-the-clock care and attention. It didn’t take long for them to capture the hearts of the NICU staff. One of their primary nurses, KK Harding, joked that everyone fought over who would take care of the quads each shift. 

“They're so precious,” she said. “It brought us such joy to help this amazing family care for their babies and to help them grow.” 

“Even though I don’t work in this unit, I know firsthand how great the caliber of care is at Cook Children’s,” Catie said. “All of the nurses, doctors, staff, and respiratory therapists made this journey smoother than we could have ever imagined, and we are so thankful the babies could come to this NICU.”

Finally Home With Family

After eight weeks in the NICU, the quads made their way home at the beginning of March. Catie and Cameron transported the babies in their new Sprinter van—the only vehicle that could fit all four of their car seats.  

Catie is happy to report that the babies are doing great and continuing to develop their own distinct personalities. James, who she calls their “little James Bond,” loves being the center of attention. Hannah is leading the pack by being the best eater and sleeper, and Mark, who’s either stoic and brave or pouty, can’t decide what he wants. Logan loves cuddles and is the most pensive of the group—he’s also the tiniest and hungriest, trying to catch up to everyone else’s size.

Though Robin and Allie didn’t realize how much crying they would have to endure, they love being a big brother and sister. They especially enjoy having family reading time before bed and helping mom and dad out with diapers, bottles, and pacifiers.

It’s safe to say the Pulsifers have their hands full. They go through upwards of 64 total diapers and bottles per day, but they have been fortunate to have an outpouring of support from family, neighbors, and their church community. 

The days ahead for Catie and Cameron will certainly be far from boring. At one point, all six of their kiddos will be in elementary school together. Helping just one child through life’s major milestones is a lot for any parent—and the Pulsifers will have four navigating growing pains simultaneously. But if there’s anyone who’s equipped to handle it and ready to enjoy the ride, it’s this family.

“We can't really prepare for it, but the thought of what our life is going to look like is really exciting,” Cameron said. “A little scary, a little nerve-wracking, but exciting more than anything.”