Mary Lanning Healthcare Employee Paints Mural To Honor Babies Graduating From The NICU

A new mural on the Mary Lanning Healthcare Family Care Center (FCC) celebrates families whose babies are graduating from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). 

The mural was the brainchild of several FCC nurses. Brianna Skrdlant, RN, said the nurses were looking for ways to recognize “the struggles that families often face in the NICU.” They decided they wanted a mural including a tree because trees are “colorful, strong and ever changing but still beautiful and thriving.”

“We see these qualities in our infants,” Skrdlant said. “We felt that it would be beneficial to display the tree where families would see it and show their children in the future.” 

Parents are invited to place leaves on the tree with any information they want to share. The leaves eventually are sent back to families as a keepsake. So far, one leaf has been placed by a family, marking their infant’s graduation from the NICU.

The nurses invited Brian Ortgies, MLH Safety & Security Officer, to submit a drawing for consideration for the mural. Ortgies, who has a background in art education, is known at MLH for the temporary cartoons that he has painted on clear panels in the Emergency Department. 

Ortgies, who has worked at MLH for six years, said he worked to design something that was inviting and friendly. After his design was approved, he broke it up into four sections and used a projector to make it larger. The actual painting of the tree took about six hours over two days.

Ortgies said one of his top Gallup strengths is collaboration.

“I love to collaborate with other people and contribute with something I am able to do,” Ortgies said. “The outcome reflects the caring heart of the people at MLH. I am proud to be a part of this kind of project. I like working here where I can continue to use my strengths.”

Before coming to MLH, Ortgies worked with people who have disabilities and mental illness. He said he has called upon that experience in his security job because it is a matter of keeping people safe in both instances.

“When I came here, I was sold on the fact that I know how to be patient, to calm and help people be safe,” Ortgies said. “I just want to be helpful.”