Former Preemie Finds NICU Nurse Who Saved Her 21 Years Ago

For 21 years, Madison Kennedy dreamed of finding the woman who saved her life. She only knew her as "Janine" and could only see her hands in old family photos.

Madison was born extremely premature on December 4, 2004, at K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in New Jersey. Her eyes were still fused shut and she couldn't breathe on her own.

She spent four and a half months in the NICU fighting for survival. Her parents received multiple calls warning that Madison might not make it through the night.

But Janine Buggle, Madison's assigned day nurse, was there through it all. She gave daily updates to the terrified parents, made Madison a tiny Christmas stocking, and called them with excitement when one of Madison's eyes finally opened.

Last Friday, Madison's wish came true. She reunited with Buggle in the same NICU hallways where they first met 21 years ago.

"As cheesy as it is, I feel fulfilled," said Madison, who just turned 21. "It's a full circle moment for me personally."

Sunny's Take

Buggle has worked in the NICU for 27 years and never forgot Madison or her family. She's received Christmas cards from former patients over the years, but no one had ever tracked her down like this.

"To know that you made such a huge impact on a family that they went through all those steps to find me, it's just a surreal feeling," Buggle said. She was simply doing her job, crying with parents during setbacks and celebrating tiny victories like a two-pound weight gain.

The experience changed Madison's mother Christine too. The former graphic designer became a certified medical assistant and is now attending nursing school at age 52.

"I want to give back and I want to be that nurse that someone can turn to," Christine said. She credits Buggle with not just saving Madison, but making an impossibly difficult time bearable for the whole family.

For Buggle, the reunion proved something she didn't fully realize as a nurse. "You're just there living day to day with them," she said. "I don't think you realize you've had such an impact."

Madison's search for her guardian angel shows that kindness in our darkest moments stays with us forever.