For Julia Hanson, getting care at AdventHealth Celebration turned into a family affair.
In October 2022, Hanson was 32 weeks pregnant and visiting Central Florida with her husband Chris, their four kids and extended family on vacation.
“We are Disney fans; this was our first big family trip down here, but we’ve grown up taking trips to Disney,” Hanson said. “We were told everything was fine medically, so we drove down and two days later my water broke and we went to the hospital.”
Making the situation even more stressful, Hanson’s father had a medical episode, and also ended up at AdventHealth Celebration. They both ended up being cared for on the same floor of the hospital.
The family, who are from Wisconsin, quickly discovered connections with their care team.
“One nurse who treated me had gone to Marquette, which is just up the street from us, and my postpartum nurse ended up being from Minocqua, Wis.,” she recalled. “You can’t make it up!”
The baby, whom the couple named Archer, was taken to the NICU, where he’d stay for about three weeks, receiving care that has been nationally recognized for seven years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.
During those weeks, the couple developed strong bonds with their care team, including nurse Deb Petrina – herself a former NICU mom.
“I know our patients are scared, and because I went through this myself, my goal is to make families feel at ease so they can have the best experience possible,” Petrina said. “While the NICU nurses care for the babies, it is the mom and the rest of the family we need to cater to the most, making sure they are comfortable.”
After returning home to Wisconsin, the mom and nurse remained in touch, becoming friends on Facebook and watching each other’s families grow.
The bond is so strong that the Hanson family returned a year later to visit the team at AdventHealth Celebration for Archer’s first birthday, and again as he celebrated his second. They plan to make it an annual event going forward.
All seven Hansons, including five kids ranging from 2 to 11, were thrilled to see Deb and the other nurses who cared for Archer. He was greeted with a birthday balloon and a present along with warm hugs before the family headed out to explore more of Orlando.
“It was a great experience to be feeling like you are at a home away from home,” Hanson said. “With the entire AdventHealth staff, it didn’t feel like you were out of state, you felt like you were at home.”