Care for an 'angel'
The Cassilianos were in good hands. When Monmouth Medical Center opened its Regional Newborn Center in 1968, the hospital made perinatal history by becoming the first hospital in New Jersey and the first community hospital in the nation to establish a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Now a state-designated level III regional perinatal center, it has consistently attained one of the highest infant survival rates among NICUs in the country.
People say miracles happen when you least expect them. On December 14, 2009, Melissa and Rob Cassiliano were definitely not expecting one. Only 26 weeks into her pregnancy, Melissa arrived at Monmouth Medical center late in the evening with dangerously high blood pressure.
When Melissa was immediately admitted and put on total bed rest, the first-time parents-to-be were bracing for the unknown. “We knew our baby would likely be born prematurely and we were scared. But the doctors and nurses made us feel we were in good hands,” says Melissa. “They took the time to educate us about prematurity, and that really helped.”
The Cassilianos were indeed in good hands. when Monmouth Medical Center opened its Regional Newborn Center in 1968, the hospital made perinatal history by becoming the first hospital in New Jersey and the first community hospital in the nation to establish a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Now a state-designated level III regional perinatal center—the largest of its kind in Monmouth and Ocean counties—it has consistently attained one of the highest infant survival rates among NICUs in the country.
In the early morning hours of December 30, baby angelina made her grand entrance into the world. weighing just 2 pounds, 14 ounces, the Cassilianos’ “little angel” required high- touch, clinically excellent ’round-the-clock care in the NICU.
“It was so hard, but watching the NICU staff perform their magic was amazing,” says Rob. “Just knowing they were there to save our little angel, no matter what, made all the difference.”
For close to two months, Melissa and Rob came regularly from their Freehold home to visit Angelina in the NICU. “The staff there became
our family. we would call at all hours of the night and there was always someone there to talk and update us on our baby girl,” says Melissa.
The following Valentine’s Day was especially sweet for Rob and Melissa. when they arrived for their visit, they discovered Angelina dressed in a pink hearts sleeper with a card she had made—with a little help from her NICU family—for her mom and dad. “Even with all the stress we felt, these little things made a world of difference,” recalls Melissa. “we were like normal parents and we cherished that.”
Angelina, who is almost 1 now, has gone from the care of many specialists to just a few. Her smiling face is a reminder to her parents that miracles really do happen at the most surprising times. “We tell everyone that the hospital should be called Monmouth Miracle center,” says
Melissa. “We can’t express the gratitude we feel to all the doctors and nurses who went above and beyond to make our little miracle possible.”
