About PROJECT NICU
From the Founder
Nearly one in ten infants will begin life inside a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Alongside those medically fragile babies are parents and caregivers experiencing a traumatic and often overwhelming start to parenthood.
I am one of those parents.
As the mother of two sons born prematurely, Santino at 31 weeks and Salvatore at 30 weeks, I experienced not one, but two NICU stays. While we were grateful to have supportive family and friends around us, the reality of the NICU journey can still feel deeply isolating. I remember looking around and seeing so many families facing the same medical uncertainty, many without the emotional or financial support they desperately needed.
Project NICU was born from that space out of love, gratitude for the community that carried us through some of the hardest months of our lives, and a clear need for connection among NICU families navigating trauma together.
I longed to connect with someone who truly understood the NICU experience. When I finally did, through a friend who had been there herself, I felt less alone for the first time. Her simple gifts a journal and a knit hat from a local church became the inspiration for the care packages we provide today.
I envisioned a community where NICU parents could share their stories, find hope, and feel seen. A place where small gestures support tokens for newly admitted families, gas cards or groceries to ease daily burdens could make a meaningful difference. A community where parents could speak freely without judgment or fear, reconnect at events, and celebrate the nurses and medical teams who perform miracles every single day.
Most importantly, I wanted a way for parents like me those who had walked this road to give back to the families who come after us.
What began as a small dream has grown into a powerful, compassionate community rooted in connection and support. It’s about passing the torch so others can navigate the road ahead with a little more clarity. It’s about weaving stronger threads between hospitals, caregivers, and families so outcomes are better for everyone. And it’s about becoming exactly what this community needs together.
About PROJECT NICU
Supporting NICU Families Through Their Most Challenging Journeys
Project NICU is a community of support, connection, and hope for families who experience the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). We walk beside parents through one of the most challenging times in their lives offering comfort, resources, and understanding from those who have been there before.
Our mission is to provide emotional and financial support to families with medically fragile infants in the NICU and to the medical professionals who care for them.
Through care packages, peer-to-peer mentorship, bereavement and sibling support, and hospital partnerships, Project NICU ensures that no family faces their NICU journey alone. We also uplift the dedicated NICU staff who provide exceptional care every day, recognizing their strength and compassion.
Together, we build a community that honors every story; celebrating milestones, remembering losses, and bringing hope to NICU families and care teams across the country.
Our Cause
Project NICU offers connection, support, and community to all involved in the NICU Journey.
From NICU Care Packages, Peer Support, Graduate Programming, Free Counseling, events, and more — we are here for every step of the journey. Led by NICU Parents, our programs are designed with firsthand experience and supported by NICU medical professionals to truly create an environment where families and NICU Teams can feel supported.
You’re Not In This Alone.
Project NICU is dedicated to providing financial and emotional support resources to families with children in theNeonatal Intensive Care Unit and the medical professionals who care for them.
We connect with NICU Parents and offer resources to support them during their journey both in the hospital and beyond. We recognize the amazing medical teams that care for these families and celebrate them.
Help us make a difference
Every contribution brings hope and healing to families facing the most challenging moments of their lives.
Our Approach
Project NICU Peer Support Team
The Project NICU Peer Support Team is made up of incredible Graduate NICU Parents, specially trained and each with their own unique journey and passion for using their first-hand lived experience to connect and support parents.
Interested in joining the Peer Support Team?
Project NICU Parent Mentors
Provide one-on-one support to current NICU Parents during the duration of their hospital stay and into the first few days post graduation.
Virtual Support Facilitators
Host weekly support groups, providing a safe space for parents to share their stories, ask questions and make connections with those who "get it".
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