In addition to the NICU Family Lounge, Caitlin’s legacy has helped premature babies and their families in other ways, too. Since its inception in 2006, the foundation has raised nearly $500,000.

Some of the other highlights are:

Donating $50,000 to fund medical research at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles into the devastating intestinal condition called NEC that took Caitlin’s life and the lives of so many other premature babies. The good people at the New Jersey March of Dimes were tremendously helpful in this regard.

Donating $30,000 to purchase an interactive “NICU Knowledge” unit for use at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. NICU Knowledge is a multi-lingual, touch screen, interactive, multimedia teaching tool that educates parents about specialists who work in the NICU, the terms they use, the medical technology and devices employed and dozens of important topics that involve their child’s care. The goal is to allow parents to better understand the medical conditions facing their child and empower them to be their child’s greatest advocate. The unit also has the capability to stream video of a child in the NICU to their parents, grandparents or other family members who can’t be physically present at the hospital.

Donating thousands of dollars to help cover the cost of welcome and emergency-care bags for parents, and support a petty cash fund to address families’ short-term needs. The bags contain an assortment of toiletries and other convenience items to help parents remain comfortable if they unexpectedly find themselves staying overnight on the unit. The petty cash fund, administered by the lead nurse and social worker, will cover the cost of items such as public transportation for families who need assistance getting to and from the hospital.