The Alternative Press

LIVINGSTON, NJ – Louis LaSalle still smiles at the memory of the little boy who tugged on his pant leg, earnestly asking LaSalle if he remembered him.

“I didn’t at first, but then I looked up and saw Dr. Sun standing there laughing. He held out his cupped hand and that’s when I realized that this little boy, this healthy six-year-old boy, was the same one that Dr. Sun had once shown me, so small he fit in the palm of his hand.”

The little boy, named Anthony, is just one of the many children who have been helped by the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Barnabas Health. LaSalle, who is vice president of external affairs at Barnabas Health, and the doctors who head up the NICU, Shyan Sun and Kamtorn Vangvanichyakorn (“We just call her Dr. Kamtorn,” LaSalle said), were among those who attended the Livingston Sunrise Rotary’s Annual Food Tasting, an event held to raise money for the NICU.

The evening drew an estimated 400 people and showcased restaurants, as well as liquor and wine sellers, from the Livingston area. For a $75 ticket, guests went from station to station around the Westminster Hotel, sampling everything from coconut encrusted chicken skewers to mole poblano with homemade tortilla chips, barbecued ribs to stuffed cupcakes.

Proceeds from the event, held for the past eight years, benefit the NICU and have been used to purchase the most advanced equipment to care for the hospital’s littlest patients.

“It is rewarding work,” said Dr. Sun, who said they work closely with women who have a difficult labor and delivery. “On an average day, half of the unit is premature babies, and the other half are bigger babies who have medical problems.”

Dr. Sun said ten percent of all births need some kind of special care. That’s where the NICU comes in. He and Dr. Vangvanichyakorn continue to follow up with the children even after they’re released, to make sure they stay healthy.

“It’s wonderful to see them when they come back later, healthy and smiling,” Dr. Vangvanichyakorn said. “Especially when you first see them so sick.” She recalls one baby who weighed just one pound. She was on kidney dialysis. Her fingers were black. She was fighting for her very life. Three years later, she came back for a checkup, pink-fingered and happy.

“These are babies that used to die,” LaSalle said. “And now they survive, they thrive.”

LaSalle said the Livingston Sunrise Rotary’s event is an invaluable help to the work the NICU does.

“We are so indebted to the Rotary for all they do for us,” he said. “Our own people are here, willing to pay for a ticket just to be a part of this.”

Ariane Duarte, co-owner of Culin Ariane of Montclair and season five contestant on Bravo’s hit television show “Top Chef,” said she is a big supporter of neonatal intensive care units although this is her first time to be part of the fundraising efforts for Barnabas Health.

“I’m really just so happy to be here,” Duarte said. “It’s a great thing that they’re doing and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

LuAnn DeLuca, assistant general manager of Nero’s Grille in Livingston, said they’ve taken part in the event for the last few years.

“Anything we can do to help, we’re there,” she said, busily serving up samples.

Livingston Sunrise Rotarian Richard Pierce said the event has grown every year, and Monday night’s event was the biggest so far. The evening also included gift baskets, door prizes and a silent auction. Sunrise Rotary President Monte Ehrenkranz thanked everyone for their support and the great turnout.

For more information on the Livingston Sunrise Rotary, visit www.livingstonrotary.org. For more information on Barnabas Health’s NICU, visit www.barnabashealth.org/services/pediatrics/services/nicu.html