Connect

"The card to the team members began: '32 years ago, you saved my life.'” 

This is the latest installment in our Connect article series “Hope at Work” — showcasing inspiring stories about how our team members contribute to UVA Health’s 10-year strategic plan: “One Future Together Health and Hope for All.” No matter where you work, you have an opportunity to inspire hope in others. These stories show how.

Balancing Responsibilities

On March 9, 1993, UVA Health Prince William Medical Center welcomed Michael Deitz — born prematurely with underdeveloped lungs and admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). His mother, Janet, faced her own set of complications unrelated to the birth, requiring her to remain in the hospital for a month.

This was an uncertain time for the young family: Michael’s father, Timothy, was balancing his responsibilities at home with two young daughters while also staying by his wife’s and son’s sides in the hospital. Michael refers to his father as a “stress baker” — easing his anxiety by baking muffins, visiting his wife and child each day, bringing along those muffins for the NICU nurses and other team members.

Lee Ann Brown, RN, recalls: “He would bring in the best lemon poppy seed and blueberry muffins for the NICU staff — they were such a treat!” Lee Ann’s nursing career began several years earlier when her colleague, Cathy Vetal, RN, suggested she consider the rewarding work of the NICU. At the time, Lee Ann was relatively new to the NICU, and she vividly remembers how tiny Michael was when he was born. There came a day when all his tubes and wires were finally removed, and he graduated from the warmer to an incubator. While it looked like an odd box, it was an important step forward in his care.

“I can still see Timothy saying to me, ‘I just don’t know what to do,’” Lee Ann recalls. “I opened the porthole and told him, ‘Let Michael grasp your finger and just talk to him.’” Every day before work, Timothy would visit, sitting by his son’s side and singing “Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore" for 20 minutes. “I still can’t hear that song without tearing up,” Lee Ann shares.

A Tradition Is Born

A year after Michael’s birth, Timothy returned to the NICU with muffins in hand — and a tradition was born. He brought Michael along each time and shared milestones the little one had reached, thanking team members again and again for the gift of his son.

As the years passed, father and son continued to bake muffins and visit the NICU every year on Michael’s birthday. Michael fondly remembers the excitement of baking with his father, and later that evening, sharing a muffin he’d saved just for them. It was their tradition — just for the two of them. Every year, Timothy would proudly recount Michael’s accomplishments from the past year.

The Prince William Medical Center visit tradition was a special bond primarily between Michael and his father. His mother, whose health was fragile, couldn’t participate. When Michael was four, his mother was given only three months to live because of a genetic disorder that had been improperly treated, leading to a lifetime of poor health. But she defied the odds, surviving another 21 years before passing away in 2015.

From his early days in the NICU, Michael’s life unfolded into something extraordinary. He thrived as an elite gymnast for 20 years, competing at the Division I level and even reaching pre-trial Olympic status. He was at the top of his sport. After attending the College of William and Mary for his undergraduate degree, Michael completed his thesis at Virginia Commonwealth University during the pandemic while living with his father. The tradition of visiting the NICU was paused, because of COVID-19 restrictions.

At 30, Michael decided to adopt the tradition on his own — reflecting deeply on his mother’s love for the tradition in which she couldn’t take part. Those cherished memories of baking and visiting the NICU with his father led him to imagine what it might feel like for others to have a child in the NICU. He reached out to friends to help bake muffins, reviving the tradition that had meant so much to him.

The NICU Team

Lee Ann says working with these babies is why she chose the nursing profession in the first place. "To start in the NICU and witness all these special moments in a child's life — that's why I go to work."

Michael, she recalls, never lets accolades or successes go to his head. Timothy, ever the grounding force, kept Michael humble and grateful for everything he had achieved, despite his challenging start in life.

Michael remembers the years when Rosanna Sy, MD, was part of his NICU care. "It was extra exciting when she was there,” Michael recalls. “She was always so happy to hear how well I was doing. She was so thrilled to see us at every visit." He fondly remembers his father bringing clippings of his gymnastics events and sharing his medals and ribbons with team members. Michael would even sit in the car before school, hoping for traffic to delay his arrival, so he could hold on to that special time with his father a little longer.

Cathy says when she started in the NICU, they only cared for babies more than 34 weeks of age — now they care for babies as young as 27 weeks. "I have been in the hospital as the advancements in the NICU evolved. The improved respiratory support, the increased number of neonatologists, and the advancements in monitoring in the last 30 years are just amazing! It makes me happy to see Michael each year as he has grown into the amazing young man he is today and to share in his family’s joy.” 

Part of the charm of a community hospital is the familiarity of the team members. Many of them are neighbors, classmates, or recognizable faces from church or sporting events. When Michael walks into the hospital with muffins, it often prompts a warm response: “Wow, it’s already March 9th?” The gesture is always met with heartfelt appreciation. Lee Ann and Cathy remember Michael and his father fondly.

Crucial Roles

When Michael looks at the NICU nurses and other team members who do this special work, he believes they don’t get enough recognition for how deeply their acts impact families. “What they do stays with a family or a child forever." This realization deepened his family's appreciation for the care they received, reinforcing the importance of giving back. Occasionally, when Michael would post on social media about his baking and hospital visits, his friends would excitedly join in — proud of his kind gesture. In some small way, he hopes his actions inspire others to find ways to give back.

Today, Michael works as a psychotherapist and director at Healthy Minds Therapy. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the College of William and Mary and Virginia Commonwealth University.

In 2024, Prince William Medical Center delivered 1,932 babies and admitted 239 for care in the Level III NICU. The unit continues to grow and provides comprehensive care to babies born before 32 weeks’ gestation or requiring complex care.

The 12-bed unit houses babies with state-of-the-art technology, supported by an around-the-clock care team of neonatologists. The NICU plays a crucial role in the lives of newborns and families in the community, helping the most vulnerable babies get the best chance at a healthy future.