Gerber Foundation Neonatal Center

Now with over 130 Angel Eye cameras in place, our NICU ensures families can see their babies even when they can't be at their bedside. A new app feature provides a timer and baby display for mothers to use while pumping, as visualizing their child helps increase breast milk production. Over the past two years, 3,563 families and caregivers have benefited from these cameras! 

In 2025, 58 NICU parents were matched with a Parent-to-Parent (P2P) volunteer. Hosted by P2P volunteers and supported by philanthropy, monthly taco nights on the unit provide an opportunity for current NICU parents to gather and connect with others about their shared experiences in the NICU. New this year, the P2P program has formed a new collaboration with the pediatric congenital heart unit. Two heart families participated in volunteer training in Fall 2025, helping to bridge the gap between NICU admissions and CICU admissions with parent volunteers who have experience in both settings. 

In addition to direct patient care, philanthropy supports capital improvements and equipment purchases, enabling us to expand our services and improve the patient experience. This includes the purchase of privacy screens for parents and providing items such as hospital-grade pump rentals and nursing bras for families with financial need. Currently under construction, the 10th floor of Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital will reopen in 2026 with 10 rooms specifically for NICU patients and a state-of-the-art, centralized location for human milk and formula preparation. By relocating the nutrition room to the 10th floor, it will provide a workspace that meets safe, standard care while increasing the ability to serve more patients. Philanthropy makes this possible! 

“Our little girl arrived in this world far too soon — born at just 27 weeks after my water broke at 15. The days in the NICU were some of the longest, most terrifying months of my life, and yet, somehow, they were filled with moments of grace I will never forget. After our 91-day stay, I can say without hesitation that the Angel Eye camera and the Parent-to-Parent program were two of the greatest blessings we could have ever received. 

No parent imagines having to leave their baby’s bedside, and yet over such a long stay, we had no choice. The heartbreak of walking away each night was softened only by the incredible gift of being able to see her on that camera. The relief of checking in on her — even seconds after stepping out of the room — gave me breath when my chest felt too tight to hold any. My husband would tease me for pulling up the camera before the door even closed behind us, but that tiny screen became a lifeline for me to endure the stay. 

And then there was the Parent-to-Parent program — my saving grace. Speaking with someone who had walked this same fragile, frightening path made the darkness feel a little less consuming. My match met me for lunch in the hospital, sent the gentlest words of encouragement, held space for my tears, and surprised me with small, meaningful gifts that felt like little lights guiding me forward. I didn’t have to explain the beeping monitors, the ventilators, or the endless acronyms — she already knew. She celebrated the victories with me, no matter how small, including the unforgettable day our daughter got her first bath. 

I will carry the gratitude for these acts of kindness in my heart for the rest of my life. To those who choose to support these programs: thank you. Thank you for choosing to pour love into families like ours when we are most fragile and most afraid. Of all the places you could give, you chose to help tiny lives fight, grow, and thrive — and you chose to help the parents who love them more than words can ever say.”