Brendan's Buddies

About Brendan's Buddies

In July 1999, Brian Carroll's son, Brendan, was born weighing less than 2 lbs. He struggled for his first breaths, and no one was certain that he would survive. Thanks to the fine work of the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at UMass Memorial Hospital, after five months, Brendan was finally sent home. Today, Brendan is a fun-loving 5-year-old with bright future ahead of him. Brian Carroll formed the Brendan's Buddies running team to show his thanks to NICU by raising funds to buy needed life-saving equipment for the unit. To date, the team has participated in over 15 races. By December 2002, the team had successfully raised $50,000 to buy two new ventilators for the unit. Since then, the team has added over 50 runners and raised more than $115,000. Fundraising has continued with the team taking part in more races and raising more money for needed equipment.

About the UMass Memorial NICU

The UMass Memorial 43-bed Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Worcester, Massachusetts, admits over 500 newborns each year and has served as the the region's Perinatal Center for at-risk infants since 1974. In fact, the UMass Memorial NICU has earned benchmark status by the National Vermont Oxford Group, making it a model for other hospital NICUs around the world. The Unit's highly skilled staff delivers the best possible care - care that is personal, professional and compassionate. Today, 98% of the babies cared for at the UMass Memorial NICU survive. Our hope is that by donating needed equipment, the unit can continue its fine work of saving these tiny infants and giving them a future. Currently, Brendan's mom, June Carroll, spends some of her free time as a volunteer at the NICU, helping parents cope while their at-risk infants are cared for in the Unit. However more help is always welcome! Anyone interested in donating some of their time to the NICU can e-mail June from this site or call 1-800-343-0939, extension 234.