Beijing United Family Hospital has come a long way since they first started their humble, but modern hospital 20 years ago. This week (June 12) they hosted a celebration for some of the first babies that they brought into this world 18 years ago in 1999. It was an emotional homecoming for this now grown-up group as they were reunited with some of the doctors and nurses that helped during the labor process and the recovery days that followed.
Of the 98 babies that were born in 1999 at BJU, five were in attendance and were welcomed back with gifts, birthday cake, and of course the warmth this international health provider is known for. The evening began with a waltz on the dance floor, which set a sweet tone for all that was to follow.
Next up, Sylvia Pan, the General Manager of Beijing United Family Hospital, and Roberta Lipson, founder and CEO of United Family Healthcare, gave a speech about the ways that BJU has grown and developed over the years with an ever expanding amount of facilities, but also how they have been able to grow as people along with it. They sent out their gratitude to the many families over the past 20 years that have put their trust in BJU.
After a couple more speeches from longtime staff members, the fun was taken up a couple of notches with a delightful sand art performance, where one of the staff members of the hospital effortlessly crafted images of families throughout various stages of life with colored sand that was projected on a big screen at the end of the room. This was followed by a jazz band, which played all the soothing hits to accompany the dinner and dessert that concluded the evening.
All in all, it was a great event, and a refreshing opportunity to catch a hospital reunited with some of the lives they had forever changed through the little miracle of childbirth. We hope that this tradition only grows as BJU continues to be many people’s go-to medical facility in Beijing for obstetrics, pediatrics, and beyond.
photos: Kipp Whittaker
