The Deborah F. Sager Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Inspira Medical Center Vineland will soon expand its capabilities to care for newborns with neurological trauma related to low blood-oxygen levels, thanks to a grant from The Superhero Project Inc. The grant, made to the Deborah F. Sager Memorial Fund, has enabled the purchase of new equipment that will be operational in early 2026.
Since opening in 2012, the NICU has provided care for more than 4,000 babies. The new technology includes an EEG device that allows real-time monitoring of brain activity and supports comprehensive body cooling therapy. This advancement is expected to reduce the need for transferring infants to other facilities.
“We are grateful to The Superhero Project for supporting our babies and the NICU team with this generous grant,” said Amy Mansue, president and CEO of Inspira Health. “This grant will allow us to keep even more babies in our NICU, close to loved ones and together with the care team who has already established a bond with the family.”
Ashish Gupta, M.D., section chief of Neonatology at Inspira Health and director of Nemours Children’s Health Partnerships, highlighted the benefits: “We are so thankful to The Superhero Project, the Deborah F. Sager Memorial Fund and the Inspira Health Foundation for helping us acquire this technology,” he said. “We will be able to care for babies who experience hypoxia [the medical term for low oxygen levels] without the need for a transfer. This is preferred because it reduces stress on both the baby and the family, and keeps the care local.”
Nemours Children’s Health continues its partnership with Inspira Health by providing neonatologists, pediatric hospitalists, educational support, and transport resources.
The Superhero Project was founded in 2015 by Kelly Gallagher after her own experience with premature birth. The organization donates care packages, assists families financially, provides technology so parents can see their babies remotely when they cannot be present in person, and offers support services aimed at keeping families connected during difficult times.
The grant supporting Inspira’s NICU was funded through a Family Fundraiser called Chillin with Dylan in collaboration with The Superhero Project. It celebrates Dylan Roberts’ birth in 2018; Dylan spent nearly a month in a NICU and received body cooling therapy that his parents believe saved his life.
“This will be so meaningful to our NICU families whose babies need body-cooling therapy,” said Christl Dooley, B.S.N., R.N.C.-OB., assistant vice president for Maternal Child Health Service at Inspira Health. “Keeping babies close to their families fosters strong bonds, which help our babies heal and thrive.”
The Deborah F. Sager NICU provides care for infants of any gestational age—including those born as early as 22 weeks or weighing less than one pound at birth.
