Patients, their families and hospital caregivers will reunite for a day of joy, gratitude and connection at the 2025 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Family Day and NICU Reunion from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, May 3.

The Christus Ochsner Southwestern Louisiana Foundation hosts a reunion each year for families with children who received care at the hospital’s NICU when they were born. It is a special chance for NICU babies and their families to reunite with hospital staff who cared for them at the beginning of their journey.

CMN Director Cheyanna Glyenn said the connections formed between hospital staff and families during labor, birth and after run deep.

“Whenever a baby is born unexpectedly, that’s traumatizing for everyone involved,” she explained. “They develop a family with the staff that we have, whether that be the nurses, the doctors, the custodial help. … Family Day is a chance for them to come back and say, ‘Hey, look how far we’ve grown.’ ”

The energy each year is like a family reunion where everyone is excited to see one another, she said.

Julia Bourgeois is the 2025 Local CMN Champion, the local ambassador who represents the hospital at community fundraising events throughout the year. She is also the mother of Brooks Bourgeois, who was an NICU patient when he was born.

The NICU journey forever shapes a family forever, Juia said, and the reunion is heartwarming in “ways words can’t explain.”

“Seeing the faces who once cared for my child like their own reminds me how much of a miracle their work truly is,” she said. “I’m endlessly thankful for Children’s Miracle Network for not only giving us hope back then, but continuing to celebrate every step of the journey with us.”

Three years ago, the event was expanded to become a family fun day complete with an amateur barbecue cook-off.

Now that the event is bigger, the families can connect with more than just hospital staff and each other. They can connect with local and industry partners who have donated time or resources to Christus Ochsner, putting a face to the name of those who support the hospital that support them.

“It’s not just the Children’s Miracle Network, everybody plays a role in these children’s lives,” Glyenn said. “We’re all one community working together toward a common goal, and that’s for the sake of our children, our community’s kids.

Christus Ochsner Lake Area Hospital is one of 170 CMN’s in the United States and Canada. CMN’s mission is to keep funds raised circulating locally. Now that the reunion is also a family fun day and BBQ Cook-Off, Christus can bring in local partners for some friendly competition as a show of gratitude, she said.

About 11 partners will participate in the cook-off. Tasting tickets are $10, and funds will benefit the Pediatric Therapy Kids Team program – pediatric outpatient care for children.

Families can expect a fun day with a performance from the Barbe High School Show Choir, a magician and face painting. Families will also have a chance to tour the Acadian Ambulance AirMed helicopter.

The Kiwanis Club of South Lake Charles will host a community baby shower in conjunction with the reunion. They will be accepting baby items like lotion, wipes, diapers, blankets, towels, clothes and monetary donations.

The family day is free and open to the public.