Elliot's Story

When Elliot arrived unexpectedly at 30 weeks and 6 days, he needed time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to grow stronger. His dad Cody, MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital Senior EUC Analyst, didn’t expect that his family would rely on the very technology his team had been helping test.

Thanks to the generous support of the Leslie Loudon Guild, the NICU now has the AngelEye Health camera system – a secure webcam platform that positions a camera over each isolette and provides families with a real‑time window into their baby’s care. Parents and approved visitors receive a link with a private login, allowing them to check in anytime, day or night, when they can’t physically be at the NICU. For families juggling work, caring for other children, or managing the stress of an early delivery, this connection brings immeasurable comfort.

“Our six‑year‑old daughter is too young to visit the NICU,” Cody shares. “She was desperate to meet her baby brother, so I set up the feed on her tablet so she could see him anytime she wanted.”

Last year, 174 babies were cared for in the NICU, with an average stay of 21.4 days. For many families, tools like AngelEye will ease the emotional weight of those long weeks.

“Sometimes at night, if I was getting caught up on work, I could turn AngelEye on and see Elliot while I worked. It was a really nice experience and very comforting to see him whenever we wanted, even if we couldn’t physically be at the hospital,” Cody says.

Baby Elliot is now home with his mom, dad, and proud big sister – stronger, thriving, and deeply loved.