Lombard resident Cory Knecht’s first experience at Central DuPage Hospital came when he was born more than three months early and weighed only a pound and a half.

Now a happy and healthy 7-year-old boy, Cory returned last weekend to participate in the Winfield hospital’s 23rd annual Neonatal Intensive Care Unit reunion. The event Sunday drew 130 NICU survivors and their families, totaling more than 300 guests, many of whom said they gained a new appreciation for life through their experience at the hospital.

Cory, who stayed for three months at the hospital as a newborn before going home, dressed up in his Halloween costume as a monster for the reunion and said he enjoys attending every year. He spent part of the event decorating a pumpkin with his mother, Laurie Knecht.

“You go through a roller-coaster of emotions,” Laurie said. “The hardest part was going home every day, but I knew he was in the best hands here.”

Laurie said the NICU staff helped her emotionally and physically, and became a part of their family. The Knecht family has attended the reunion every year since Cory was born.

“It’s nice to come and remember how strongly these kids fought for their lives,” Laurie said. “It puts things in perspective.”

The Special Care Nursery at Central DuPage Hospital opened in 1979, as one of the first of its kind in the western suburbs. The nursery’s nurses began hosting a “family reunion” in 1986, when they would gather with NICU survivors to see the progress of their smallest patients. This tradition grew through the years, becoming an important event for patients and hospital staff members alike.

Bartlett resident Charlotte Burritt spent 66 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Central DuPage Hospital when she was born 10 weeks prematurely last year.

“We would go (to see her) in the morning for one to three hours,” Charlotte’s mother Donna Burritt said. “And then go back in the evening for another hour or two. We went twice a day for the entire time she was there.”

After spending countless hours at the hospital with Charlotte, Donna Burritt said she was happy to return for the reunion.

“We knew things were going to change when having a baby, but having her born 10 weeks early, it was difficult to leave her, but everyone at the hospital was great,” Donna said. “We knew she needed to be there and there was comfort in that.”

Now one year old, Charlotte is doing well and hasn’t had any major illness since leaving the hospital. She was dressed as a pirate princess for the event, where the Burritt family got a chance to thank their doctor, William Reda.

The hospital’s cafeteria could barely fit all the families, nurses, volunteers, and hospital staff who participated in this year's Halloween-themed event.

“It's getting bigger and bigger every year,” said Dr. Jeff Loughead, director of the hospital’s NICU, where he’s worked for the last decade. “It's great to see what the kids look like and how they are doing. I can remember staying awake all night to keep them alive.”

From a live band to bubble machines, children could be seen running from activity to activity, each dressed in Halloween costumes. Activities included dancing, craft-making, pumpkin-decorating, and cookie-designing.

In 1999, the hospital’s NICU was upgraded to a Level 3, allowing it to treat intensive newborn cases such as premature birth, low-birth weight or medical complications. Since the upgrade, people come from all over for the extraordinary care and service.

“We look forward to the old faces,” Laurie said. “It’s nice for us to come back and not forget how fragile life is.”