Child celebrates birthday at hospital that saved her life
Aurora Zimmerman was born with undeveloped lungs causing pulmonary hypertension, a dangerous condition that can cause a child to not get enough oxygen after birth.
The Mars girl, who recently turned 5 years old, would spend the next 11 days at the Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, which was expanded in Jan. 2019.
Aurora, the daughter of Christy and Tom Zimmerman, hadn’t returned to the place that played such a crucial role in her earliest hours until last week when AHN West Penn invited her to celebrate her 5th birthday with the five-year anniversary of the hospital’s expanded neonatal intensive care unit.
She and other NICU “graduates” from the hospital’s care unit came together Monday, Jan. 29, for the occasion.
“She lives life to the fullest,” Christy Zimmerman said about her daughter. “She’s very spunky.”
It’s a stark difference from Aurora’s first 11 days when she needed to use breathing tubes to assist her breathing.
“I had a healthy diagnosis all throughout the pregnancy,” Zimmerman said.
She recalls going into the labor thinking she would soon bring Aurora home.
It was not to be.
Aurora was born on Jan. 24, 2019. Three days after giving birth, the Zimmermans left the hospital without Aurora.
“It was the hardest thing, not coming home with her,” she said.
Aurora and the other children who attended the anniversary-birthday party were all cared for in the unit in early 2019, when the new space opened.
The children joined with family, friends, NICU clinical teams and hospital leadership to celebrate their “fabulous fives.” Each child received a personalized birthday cake from Giant Eagle.
“Whether a baby is here for a few days or for a few months, it’s not uncommon for families to form a special bond with their caregiving team,” said Dr. Brian Johnson, president at AHN West Penn. “Today’s milestone birthday celebration not only pays tribute to these amazing, resilient children, but to the dedicated, highly skilled NICU clinical teams who watch over these babies so vigilantly.”
Zimmerman said the staff made her and her husband feel at home during Aurora’s stay in the NICU.
“They included my husband and I as they were setting goals for Aurora,” Zimmerman said. “It really made us feel comfortable, like we were part of the healing. That meant the world to us.”
In January 2019, AHN West Penn unveiled the newly expanded $23 million NICU facility featuring only private rooms and state-of-the-art treatment capabilities for premature and critically ill infants.
The Level III NICU specializes in higher-level critical care and is able to accommodate 63 babies and their families. The unit also offers families larger spaces that include many of the amenities they have at home, such as a lounge, kitchen and bathrooms, plus areas specifically designed for twins.
Dr. William McCarran, a neonatologist and director of newborn medicine at West Penn, said Monday’s celebration put in perspective “how very important a birthday can be for some families.”
“Our team strives to provide comprehensive neonatal care, wraparound services, and the highest level of compassion for our babies and their families during what is likely the most challenging times of their lives,” McCarran said.
According to its website, AHN West Penn delivered about 3,600 babies in 2023. An estimated 20% of all births at the hospital were considered high risk.
“You never think about something like that until it happens to you,” Zimmerman said. “It gives you a different perspective on life.”
