Arkansas Family Turns UAMS NICU Journey into Annual Book Drive
The Verdier Family with the UAMS NICU staff
| The family of a NICU graduate is giving back to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences through an annual book drive.
Five years ago, Oliver Verdier was born prematurely and spent 83 days in the UAMS neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
“Our son was born at 28 weeks, and for the first two and a half weeks of his life, we weren’t allowed to touch him,” said Oliver’s mother, Chelsea Verdier. “And so, reading was a way that we were able to bond with him so that he could hear our voice.”
Now, Oliver is thriving, and his thankful family has donated nearly 1,300 books to the NICU. Reading remains a special part of their lives.
The Verdiers recently returned to UAMS for a book character parade to kick off its annual Read-a-Thon, part of the Babies with Books Read-a-Thon. The theme for the UAMS Read-a-Thon was inspired by Oliver’s favorite book, “I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home” by Kathryn Cristaldi.
The Verdier family and the NICU staff dressed up as characters from the book and handed out copies of the beloved children’s book to families in the unit.
Sara Peeples, M.D., the NICU medical director at UAMS, remembers taking care of Oliver and his family when they were in the hospital. She noted that language is considered an important form of nutrition for babies.
“When people read and talk and sing to their children, it’s a really important part of their development. And so, this is a great way that we can support family involvement in care and encourage them to interact with their babies and do things that are going to have a long-term impact on their development,” Peeples said.
The Verdiers say it’s a full circle moment to see Oliver so excited to see his nurses and doctors who took care of him during his stay.
“Even five years later, we’re just so appreciative of the nurses and doctors here and the staff, because without them, we wouldn’t be here, our son wouldn’t be here,” Chelsea Verdier said.
For more information on the UAMS Read-a-Thon, click here.