With a premature baby in Sunnybrook’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and a fire at their home in northern Ontario, it was a challenging time earlier this year for Kristin Boyer and her boyfriend Mike.
A silver lining was a tiny camera on the edge of their baby’s bed in the hospital. The couple could watch Caleb, from North Bay, as he slept. A highlight was seeing him wear baby clothes for the first time.
Their journey began when Kristin began to bleed at 26 weeks of pregnancy and was airlifted to Sunnybrook in January 2024. After spending two weeks in the hospital’s High Risk Obstetrics Unit, the family welcomed Caleb.
For six weeks, Kristin stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with Caleb, with Mike traveling to Toronto as much as he could. Then came word of a fire at their home in northern Ontario. Kirstin returned home briefly, and was thankful for the opportunity to see Caleb real-time on her laptop and phone.
“I felt connected to him. Sometimes I would pump milk, other times I would just check to see what he’s up to,” says Kristin.
The cameras were installed in Sunnybrook’s NICU last fall, through generous donations to the Sunnybrook Foundation, with a goal of improving accessibility and supporting the unit’s commitment to family-centred care.
Caleb is thriving now at home, and weighs over 20 pounds. His family are grateful for the care they received in Sunnybrook’s NICU, and say the cameras helped them to continue their strong bond with Caleb, and boost their comfort and peace of mind.
