Families across the Greater Houston area and as far away as Oklahoma convened at the Houston Zoo to attend The Fetal Center Family Reunion, where former patients and their families got a special opportunity to reunite with The Fetal Center specialists who cared for them.
Hosted by The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, the event drew more than 220 attendees to the Zoo’s Karamu Outpost and featured fun activities for both adults and children, including a photo booth with props and Topper, the signature green giraffe who serves as the mascot for Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.
Because The Fetal Center is a national leader in fetal diagnosis, intervention and comprehensive care for babies with congenital anomalies and genetic abnormalities, many of the children who attended the reunion received sophisticated and cutting-edge treatment for their complex fetal conditions while they were still in the womb.
The Fetal Center physicians, who are employed by McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, were overjoyed at the chance to interact with the kids they had cared for before birth.
“What a gratifying experience to be able to spend time with these families, sometimes years after their treatment, and get the opportunity to see these children continue to grow and thrive despite the odds against them,” said Dr. Anthony Johnson, co-director of The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and professor in the division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at McGovern Medical School.