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Care for Infants, Comfort for Families Neonatal Intensive Care at Jersey Shore
Enzo Pimenta was a very sick baby — before
he was even born.
While pregnant with Enzo, his mom
Resa was struck by a blood pressure disorder
called preeclampsia that threatens the life of
mother and baby. To save them both, Enzo was
delivered 12 weeks early on October 18, 2007.
The moment she saw Enzo, Resa says she
burst into tears. "He was so tiny — only 1
pound, 12 ounces." She and her husband found
themselves on what Resa calls a hard and lonely
road: parenting an infant too young, too small,
and too unstable to go home.
Helping Babies Grow
Enzo spent 96 days in the state-of-the-art
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at
K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital at Jersey
Shore University Medical Center. Eduardo
Bautista, M.D., Enzo's neonatologist, says like all
premature infants, Enzo had ups and downs.
"At Jersey Shore, neonatologists stay on call
in two-week blocks, so we know if a baby is
not acting like his or her usual self," Dr. Bautista
notes. He says tracking these nuances helps doctors
treat their struggling patients. "Parents know
whom to come to with questions, too."
Dedicated nurses also are there to offer support.
Jersey Shore has been recognized as a
Magnet hospital for sustained excellence in nursing.
Judy Smutko, R.N., Enzo's primary nurse, is
one of five who has been on the NICU for more
than 25 years. "We just love our jobs," she says.
"Watching babies so tiny and so very sick get
better and go home is rewarding."
Helping Parents Cope
As Resa cried that first day, she says Smutko
hugged her and told her to take care of herself
so that she could be there for her son. Also,
Resa's husband connected with Angels of Hope,
a Jersey Shore–based support group for parents
of infants being treated in the NICU.
Smutko says it's impossible to imagine what parents
go through, wanting to be with their babies and
not always being able to do so. "Some moms keep
journals," she says. "And we update them by phone,
sometimes several times during a 12-hour shift."
In Enzo's case, Resa drove the 30 miles from
Lacey Township every afternoon until Enzo was
strong enough to go home on January 22, 2008.
She says the compassion of the entire Jersey
Shore staff got them through.
"Enzo and I owe them our lives."
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