On Saturday, June 13 at the Bend hospital, St. Charles caregivers, volunteers and community partners gathered to host a reunion for families of former patients of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Bend — commonly known as the NICU.
The 2026 NICU Reunion brought nurses, doctors and other caregivers back together with the families they supported during their NICU stay. Kids enjoyed face painting, a bouncy house, craft stations, balloon animals and plenty of fun activities throughout the event, which was free to attend thanks to generous donors to St. Charles Foundation.
The theme — superheroes! — resonated deeply with Matt Skarzynski and Angel Speranza, who spent 109 days in the NICU after their child was born three months premature.
"When we were told the theme was superheroes we thought of the realest sense of the word and who our superheroes are and all the people that were a part of her journey," Sparanza told The Bulletin. "Whether it’s the nurses, the doctors, the (respiratory therapists), the techs — those are our superheroes."
The event is fun not only for former patients and their families, but the caregivers who work in the NICU as well, said the unit's nurse manager, Erin Hocker.
“Our NICU reunion is a special event for families and caregivers alike as we celebrate the amazing progress these families have made," she said. "It’s such a joy to see the infants we once cared for playing with families and thriving."
To all involved in organzing the 2026 NICU Reunion and everyone who attended and helped make the event so special: Thank you.
