El Paso Nurses Care for Evacuated NICU Babies

The devastation of Hurricane Harvey has reached people across Texas, and El Pasoans have opened their hearts to aid hurricane victims. Three Del Sol Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses traveled to San Antonio Methodist Hospital on Friday, Aug. 25, to care for NICU babies evacuated from areas impacted by the hurricane.
 
Diana Lechuga, Azia Nicholson and Stephanie Palomino volunteered to go to San Antonio after 40 babies were evacuated from a hospital in Corpus Christi in advance of the hurricane’s landfall. The nurses spent five days in San Antonio working 12-hour shifts caring for these fragile babies and their families. On their last day in San Antonio, the nurses also cared for babies transferred from Houston-area hospitals.
 
“We feel honored to have had the opportunity to serve in San Antonio and help these precious children affected by the disaster," Lechuga said. “This experience has renewed my faith that I chose the right profession.”
 
The nurses were welcomed back to El Paso on Aug. 30 and honored at a staff celebration at Del Sol Medical Center.
 
“We are proud of Diana, Azia and Stephanie for volunteering their skills to care for these NICU babies and support evacuated families at a difficult time,” David Shimp, chief executive officer, Del Sol Medical Center, said.