NEED TO KNOW
Allyson Smyth now works at the same NICU where she was treated as a premature baby 30 years ago
Smyth’s co-worker Karen Lenker, who cared for her as a baby, recognized her after seeing a photo of her parents
Smyth explains how gratifying it is to work side-by-side with the woman who cared for her
When Allyson Smyth reported to work for her first day, the hospital was more than familiar to her.
According to 6 ABC Action News, the Pennsylvania-based nurse began working at Main Line Health’s Bryn Mawr Hospital nearly 30 years after she was treated there as a preemie herself. Karen Lenker, one of her co-workers, was also one of her caregivers.
After she graduated from school, Smyth was mentored by Lenker in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The latter remembered Smyth from the NICU as soon as she saw a photo of her parents.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Stock photo of a nurse and baby.
Credit: Getty
“My journey to be a NICU nurse started from when I was born in the NICU at Bryn Mawr, August 3, 1995,” says Smyth in an interview. “My name is Ally Smyth. I was at the NICU for 116 days.”
Smyth, whose twin brother William died just one day after they were born, says she thinks of him each day she’s at the hospital. She also recently became the beneficiary of an anonymous $1 million donation to the hospital to aid student debt relief.
“Ally was one of these preemies, so I really felt drawn to take care of her,” says Lenker. “I’m Karen Lenker, I’m a NICU R.N., B.S.N. I’ve been here since 1981, and then I came to the NICU in 1982.”
“We’re going back 30 years. She was a really tiny, little, fragile preemie. But she was a fighter! So I basically kind of latched on to her,” explains Lenker. “So you really get to know the families, you almost become part of the family. We kind of lost touch in between, like when she was an infant into her adulthood.”
Stock photo of a nurse and baby.
Credit: Getty
As for how she recognized Smyth, Lenker says she first noticed her name and then asked if she could see a picture of her parents.
“And that’s when it all came back. And I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh. I took care of you all the time, I was at your first birthday party,’ ” says Lenker. “She brought her parents into the unit right after she started working here, so it was neat seeing them again.”
“It’s so neat to see the sickest babies pull through and survive,” continues Lenker. “That’s why I love this job, and as I said, I’m 66, soon to be 67, and I’m still working full time. So it’s going to be a hard job to leave. That’s why I think Ally should follow in my footsteps and maybe work til 70 in the NICU. But I don’t know if she’ll take me up on that.”
Stock photo of a nurse.
Credit: Getty
For Smyth, working at the same NICU she was born at has been very “full-circle” for her.
“Hearing the stories of my NICU journey definitely shaped my mindset in choosing nursing,” says Smyth. “It really felt like a full-circle moment to be able to work at Bryn Mawr Hospital in the unit that I owe my life to. It really saved my life.”
“I feel very lucky to work with her,” says Smyth of Lenker. “I really owe a lot of my knowledge and expertise to her. I’ve been here for six years. Every day, I honestly can say I love my job. I really enjoy it. And if that love and that passion is still there, I’ll continue doing it as long as I can.”
Read the original article on People