Miracle kid Carter Branton thrives at
Golisano Children’s Hospital

Opened in 2015, the Gosnell Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Golisano Children’s Hospital is the only one of its kind in the Finger Lakes Region, caring for more than 1,200 newborns each year.

The space features 44 private beds in the hospital’s new tower, as well as the 24 beds in the Strong Memorial Hospital Nursery. Aside from the additional space and privacy the renovated NICU provides patients and families, the rooms are predominately single-family spaces, allowing parents the comfort and flexibility to stay with their child around-the-clock during such a turbulent, critical time.

For 2018 Miracle Kid Carter Branton, these improvements made all the difference during his lengthy 195-day NICU stay, letting his family to be with him every step of his incredible journey. Born with gastroschisis, a rare birth defect where the intestines develop outside of a baby’s body, Carter faced multiple surgeries to repair his intestine. Complicating the matter, without a connected intestine, Carter struggled to eat on his own and also required the use of an intravenous feeding tube.

Thanks to the inclusive, family-friendly design of the renovated NICU, Carter’s parents were able to stay with him every hour of every day, playing an active role in his care and recovery, and celebrating each milestone until his release more than six months after his birth.

Read Carter’s full story here and about all of our inspiring 2018 Miracle Kids here.

—Meghan Goff, June 2018