BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Adventist Health in Bakersfield is receiving a NIC-View Monitoring System that will allow parents, family, and friends to see the newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit streaming live 24 hours a day.
The addition was made possible by NICU parents Megan and Richard Spangle who started a fund named Hattie Dale's Tiny Fighters in honor of their daughter's memory.
The Spangles say having a live view of their newborn would have meant the world to their friends and family, and that's why they want to make sure that other families have the opportunity to make a connection with their babies.
"If you have a story that ends like ours, there are people there willing to talk. We are always willing to help or talk to anybody who has been in our shoes," said Megan Spangle. "You don't have to be alone."
It's a message that Spangle wants to send to any parent who has gone through or is going through the NICU journey with their child. She says that last year, her husband and herself were in the NICU for 22 days with their daughter Hattie Dale as she fought for her life.
"She was born at 24 weeks, so she was 1 pound and 3 ounces. She was just very tiny. She had to have help breathing and it was just really, really hard on her little body, and when she lost her fight, we knew immediately that we want to do something to help," said Spangle.
That sparked the idea to create the NIC-View System, which the Spangles hope will bring comfort to others.
"It's a camera system that goes on each individual bed, and family members and loved ones can log on to see their baby in live time, anytime, night or day," explained Spangle. "They'll have an opportunity to grow and bond with that baby while they can't be there in person."
Hattie's father agrees.
"It's very important, especially for family out of state and stuff like that," explained Richard Spangle. "And just being able to go home and rest and not have to worry all night. That's very important."
Rebecca Malson is the NICU manager and educator at Adventist Health Bakersfield, and she says when parents have a baby, a NICU stay is never a part of their plan, but with the incorporation of this new monitoring system, she believes parents will be able to see their baby's progress.
"Milestones; when their baby doesn't need a breathing tube anymore. When their baby starts breastfeeding or bottle feeding for the first time. A ot of hard days, but a lot of great days, too," said Malson.
The Spangle Family contributed the lead gift of $11,000 to launch the NIC-View project and bring the supportive system into Kern County, but community support is also welcomed.
"We knew that we wanted everything that we had left to go to the NICU, so we coordinated with them, kind of thought together on what the best thing we could sponsor would be in Hattie's memory and leaving a legacy for her," said Megan Spangle. "We came up with the NIC-View System."
If you would like to donate to the creation of Hattie Dale's Tiny Fighters and help support the implementation of the NIC-View System, please visit the Adventist Health Foundation's community donations page.
