Sumrall High School senior raises funds for Forrest General’s Tiniest Patients | Health

Sumrall High School senior Haley McLaurin is already planning her future career and decided to use her senior project to help the tiny patients that will one day benefit from her care. McLaurin organized a 5K Autumn Run as her senior project and raised $145 from the endeavor. Inspired by her hopeful future as a neonatal nurse practitioner, McLaurin donated the money raised to Forrest General’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

“We are so grateful to Haley for her hard work in raising funds that will benefit Forrest General’s smallest, most delicate patients,” said NICU Patient Care Manager Leigh Ann Leonard, RN. “Caring for neonatal patients and their families is a very rewarding job, but one that takes special gifts and talents. We are excited to see Haley’s interest in neonatal care, and hope that she will be successful in making that dream a reality.”

 About Forrest General’s NICU

Charged with the rewarding but often difficult task of caring for premature or critically ill infants that need specialized care, the physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, respiratory therapists, and support staff of Forrest General’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit are proud of their past and continued legacy. Forrest General opened the doors to its first NICU in October 1977. At that time, the unit was designed to support three babies. Today, the unit features 19 private rooms that allow families to stay with their babies 24 hours a day while they receive treatment in the NICU, promoting bonding, education and support. The department is supported by three neonatologists, nurse practitioners, numerous dedicated nurses, respiratory therapists, acute care techs and secretaries. Forrest General is proud to feature the second-oldest Neonatal Transport Team in the state, which includes a state-of-the-art Neonatal Transport Vehicle. Forrest General is also home to a nationally-recognized Developmental Care program, which focuses on providing treatment to preterm babies to promote the best possible long-term outcomes.