3 pre-maturely born young women return to White Plains Hospital years later to volunteer in NICU

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (WABC) -- Three young women have returned to their roots in Westchester County to give back in an inspiring way.

They're volunteers at White Plain Hospital in the neonatal intensive care unit - the same place where they were born.

Their goal is to provide comfort to worried parents.

Pre-mature babies in the NICU are the smallest patients at the hospital, but they need the most services.

"For these babies when they're born it's a daily struggle for survival," Dr. Jesus Jaile-Marti, head of neonatology, said.

Three former preemies who went through that struggle returned to the same doctor who took care of them years ago.

"I was actually the first NICU baby at White Plains Hospital, so they said when I came they were still unpacking boxes getting ready to open," Kathryn Linehan, 21, said.

Linehan wasn't even 5 pounds when she was born.

Parris Lloyd, 19, spent 32 weeks in the NICU there, along with her twin brother.

The third volunteer is 15-year-old Sofia Flissler. At 1 pound 11 ounces, she spent three month in the NICU.

All three ladies returned Monday, healthy and strong, ready to help parents struggling with the emotions of having a pre-mature baby.

"It kind of gives hope, and hope is what we do every day," Nancy Longworth of White Plains Hospital said.

The volunteers enjoy helping the staff who helped them. But for the doctor and nurses, who have celebrated many firsts with these former preemies and hundreds of others, they feel like they're the lucky ones.

"They've touched our lives and now they continue to touch our lives," said Jaile-Marti.