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BEAUMONT — Babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System are celebrating Thanksgiving as part of what their loving nurses and care team affectionately call the annual Turkey Bowl for their team of butterballs.

They are dressed for the big game where they are slated to WIN against any opponent they may face in the NICU. 

 “We know having a baby in the NICU can be challenging and at times and can be a roller coaster of emotions for our parents when they leave them in our care. So, we always keep that in mind and try to do something special—even if it’s something small—just for our NICU families,” said Mai Ngoc Truong, NICU Registered Nurse.

 “We just wanted our parents to not miss out on any special moments and also let others see some of our happiness. We find joy in our little ones. We hope other family members and our community can do the same.” 

 CHRISTUS Southeast Texas– St. Elizabeth Hospital is designated as a Level III NICU, capable of caring for very small or very sick newborn babies. 

The 14 – bed NICU offers premature babies the opportunity to grow and develop under the care of a highly trained neonatal staff. The team is operational 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year. 

“We are incredibly thankful for the CHRISTUS St Elizabeth NICU nurses who go above and beyond to care for not only our tiniest patients’ medical needs, but their families’ emotional needs as well,” said Paul Trevino, President, and CEO of CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System. 

“We also recognize that our nurses, our Associates, and physicians sacrifice time with their own families to provide compassionate, high-quality care to our patients. They deserve a great show of gratitude.”