Lehigh Valley, Pa. (May 12, 2023) – On Friday, May 5, Zachary and Kylie Bretz returned to the place they called home for the early months of their lives – the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. This time it was to support their grandmother, Barbara Vanett, with her initiative of giving back to the NICU that saved her twin grandchildren’s lives a decade ago.

Zachary and Kylie were born prematurely at 25 weeks with a combined birth weight of less than 3 pounds. Their lungs were not yet developed, requiring the doctors at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital to take lifesaving measures to keep them alive. Kylie spent 72 days in the NICU before her parents could bring her home. For Zachary, it took 90 days before he was released from the NICU, and he required an oxygen machine until he was 7 months old.

Today, the Bretz twins are thriving socially, academically and athletically, making it hard to believe Zachary and Kylie began their lives in critical condition. However, Vanett hasn’t forgotten the lifesaving treatment her grandchildren received at the Children’s Hospital NICU. That’s why Vanett invites the community to join her in supporting the Level IV NICU at the Children’s Hospital, as a way of celebrating the twins’ 10th birthday.

The Level IV NICU at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, located on the campus of Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, provides the highest level of NICU care in the region, able to care for babies born at all ages and weights, as well as infants who have critical illnesses. Neonatal surgery is available on-site.

“We couldn’t think of a better way to say thank you to the team that provided excellent care to Zachary and Kylie and supported our family during a very challenging time in our lives,” Vanett says. “Giving back is a way to honor Zachary and Kylie and the NICU that cared for them as the twins continue to grow without major complications.”

Donations will support the training necessary for a Small Baby Program, which is dedicated to the care of babies born at less than 27 weeks. This program helps to improve outcomes for extremely premature babies as well as shortens their hospital stays. The overarching goal of the program is to transform care provided by the interdisciplinary NICU team to improve the experience and outcomes for premature babies and their families. This interdisciplinary approach to family-centered care allows extremely premature babies to not only survive, but to reach their milestones.

To donate, visit the Bretz twins’ fundraising page.

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) includes 13 hospital campuses, four in Allentown, two in Bethlehem, one in Easton, one in East Stroudsburg, one in Hazleton, two in Pottsville, one in Dickson City, and one in Lehighton, Pa.; 28 health centers; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices; 20 ExpressCARE locations including the area’s only Children’s ExpressCARE; pharmacy, imaging, home health, rehabilitation and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred. Specialty care includes: trauma care for adults and children, burn care at the Regional Burn Center; kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, orthopedics, neurology, complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and robotic surgery in 10 specialties. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute and Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute physicians provide the most advanced treatments. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute is a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance (MSK Cancer Alliance), an initiative that helps community providers improve the quality of cancer care and offers access to MSK clinical trials. Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, the community’s only children’s hospital, provides care in more than 30 specialties and general pediatrics. Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest is ranked as the region’s No. 1 hospital for nine straight years and has been recognized among Pennsylvania’s top 10 hospitals for nine consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Cedar Crest, LVH–17th Street and LVH–Muhlenberg are the region’s only Magnet® hospitals for nursing excellence. Additional information is available by visiting LVHN.org or following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

 

Information provided to TVL by:
Brian Downs
Public Information Officer
Marketing and Public Affairs
Lehigh Valley Health Network
LVHN.org

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