Vanessa Reed Foundation

09/04/2026

This month is NICU Awareness month! Please donate to help us show support to NICU families this month in Rapides, Cabrini, and Our Lady of Lourdes!

By Vanessa Reed Foundation

09/04/2026

❓ 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐔 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭?

For many, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is something they never think about until their own baby needs it. Yet every year, up to 30 million newborns worldwide receive some level of NICU care because they are born preterm, too small, or sick. 🌍💜

A NICU stay can be one of the most challenging experiences a family will ever face. It often brings fear, uncertainty, and emotional stress – abruptly changing parents’ hopes and dreams about how their new family life will begin. At the same time, the NICU is also a place of hope, where dedicated healthcare professionals work every day to give the smallest and sickest babies the best possible start in life. 🌱

✨ Why is NICU awareness so important?

🔹 It helps people understand the realities of NICU families.
Many parents return home carrying invisible emotional, physical, and financial burdens. Greater awareness encourages empathy, understanding, and meaningful support.

🔹 It highlights the importance of family-centered care.
Parents are essential members of their baby’s care team in the NICU. Supporting parent involvement benefits babies, families, and healthcare professionals alike, and it is associated with better outcomes, including improved weight gain, higher breastfeeding rates, and fewer hospital readmissions.

🔹 It promotes better care for every baby.
Awareness helps advocate for access to high-quality neonatal care, evidence-based practices, and long-term developmental follow-up while recognizing that access to these services varies by region and healthcare setting.

💡 Throughout NICU Awareness Month, we will be sharing information and raising awareness of what the NICU means for families. Together, we can ensure that every baby born too soon, too small, or sick receives the care they need – and that every family feels seen, understood, and supported. 💜

👉 Have you or someone you know experienced a NICU stay? We’d love to hear what NICU awareness means to you!

09/01/2026

08/15/2026

Next month is NICU Awareness Month! Help us show NICU families and NICU nurses love and support! Donations will be used to make care packages for NICU families at Rapides, Cabrini, and Our Lady of Lourdes! Donations will also be used to deliver cookies to the nurses! Thanks!

By Vanessa Reed Foundation

06/04/2026

By Vanessa Reed Foundation

05/24/2026

05/17/2026

Help us gift a NICU father next month for Father's Day!

By Vanessa Reed Foundation

05/09/2026

We were blessed to deliver cookies to the nurses and a total of 57 Mother's Day gifts to NICU moms at Cabrini, Rapides, and Our Lady Of Lourdes. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this cause! Please keep these families in your prayers!

04/20/2026

Vanessa enjoying her NICU Réunion with Our Lady of Lourdes!