Donations to the SRHS Foundation NICU fund help fund gifts for families.

Glenda’s Closet is a new program that provides customized care packages for families who have lost a newborn.

The program is named in honor of Glenda Tessnear, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse who died in the Regional One helicopter crash in 2004. She had been a flight nurse for six months after 18 years as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse.

One of Glenda’s close friends, Mary White, said that Glenda was a great friend and a nurse who really cared.

“Glenda enjoyed life, and babies and children most of all,” White said. “The challenge of working with babies in the NICU was important to her.”

Through the donations the SRHS Foundation, the program purchases baby clothing and other keepsakes that are shared with families as appropriate to their situation. The gifts are enclosed in a wooden box, which is also intended as a keepsake for the family. Each box is hand-crafted by Brian Wood, M.D. Dr. Wood is a neonatologist, which is a physician who specializes in the care of critically ill infants. The boxes will contain literature chosen to meet the needs of the family, along with clothing and other keepsakes.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit manager Alicia Whiteside said the program meets a need in our community.

“We hope this program will reach out to families during a time of need this very difficult time,” Whiteside said.

Communities can play an important role in the effort to decrease infant mortality by encouraging pregnant women to seek early prenatal care and educating communities, providers, pregnant women and family members on factors that affect infant mortality such as smoking, substance abuse, poor nutrition, lack of prenatal care, medical problems, chronic illness and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading causes of infant death include congenital abnormalities, pre-term/low birth weight, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), problems related to complications of pregnancy, and respiratory distress syndrome.

Spartanburg Regional’s Level III NICU cares for the most critically ill babies. Its NICU is a 35-bed unit that provides quality care to all high-risk newborns. The hospital is a regional perinatal center that provides stabilization, transport and outreach education in Spartanburg and the surrounding counties for mothers and newborns. Medical care is managed by board-certified neonatologists and perinataologists.

The Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation is a charitable corporation whose primary mission is to benefit the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System through direct support and also through its support of community programs and services that share the Spartanburg Regional mission of providing quality health care to our community. If you would like more information about this or any other giving opportunity, please visit regionalfoundation.com or call 864-560-6727.

Spartanburg Regional holds an infant loss support group for anyone who has had a miscarriage or an infant who has died. This support group meets in the second-floor classroom in Montgomery Tower at Spartanburg Regional the fourth Wednesday of each month.