A NICU graduate celebrates life

You’d never know it by looking at him today, but 18-year old Keon King is a proud graduate of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Children’s! Born four months premature at just 2 pounds, 3 ounces, he required emergency surgery at just one month old after having developed necrotizing entercolitis – a condition that causes the intestines to perforate and die. His surgery and recovery was thankfully a success, despite the medical team’s concern that he may not make it.

Keon recently shared this full circle moment with us, when he decided to pay a visit to the team of staff members to thank them in person for helping him thrive. “It was so nice to visit with the wonderful nurses who helped take care of me throughout my 5 month stay in the NICU. I’ll be forever grateful that you saved me.”