Woodlands hospital playground commemorates Neonatal ICU patient

The Jack Wolf, IV Memorial Foundation was create by Paige and John Wolf after their son Jack died of osteogenesis imperfecta shortly after being born. The Jack Wolf, IV Memorial Foundation was create by Paige and John Wolf after their son Jack died of osteogenesis imperfecta shortly after being born. Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Woodlands hospital playground commemorates Neonatal ICU patient 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

When Paige and John Wolf received the results of the prenatal testing for their first child, they were devastated. Their unborn son, Jack, was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic defect that prevents the bones from developing properly.

Jack had the fatal form of the disease. The doctor recommended an abortion.

But the Wolfs wanted to give their baby life. They went from doctor to doctor, each of them giving the same advice.

"I was literally terrified," Paige said. "We prayed we could find a place we could be at peace,"

Finally, the Wolfs had their appointment with Dr. Richard Rivas, a neonatologist at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital. Rivas promised he would help them deliver Jack and keep him alive and comfortable as long as he could.

Jack was born by C-section on May 5, 2005, and was treated for his first few days at the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. During their stay in the NICU, the Wolf family formed a bond with the staff that was caring for their son.

The nurses treated the Wolfs like friends, chatting with Paige well into the night and even making her a baby footprint flower for her first Mother's Day.

"You don't expect to have a lasting relationship (with the medical staff)," Paige said. "They went above and beyond."

"They know how to bridge the gap between clinical and friend," John said.

Within days, the Wolfs were able to bring Jack home, where they cared for him until he died at five weeks old.

To keep Jack's memory alive, his parents created the Jack Wolf, IV Memorial Foundation, which - through a golf tournament and other fundraising - has raised money for several projects benefiting the NICU.

The foundation sponsored educational training for the medical staff, "Kangaroo Chairs" made for parents to hold their infants in comfort, a "Wall of Hope" with pictures of the NICU success stories and - most recently - Wolf Park.

A concept that has been in the works for five years, Wolf Park is a children's outdoor playground at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands, just outside of the NICU. It opened to the public in October. At the center of the park sits a play structure designed to look like a giant tree. Kids can crawl inside the tree, where they will see a carving of a wolf's face, in honor of baby Jack. The park also features colorful murals and mosaics, as well as a few picnic tables.

"(Before,) we didn't have a place for NICU families to get outside," said Elizabeth Kutchback, director of children's services at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital. "They're bound by the walls. They kind of get ICU crazy."

The park isn't only a benefit for NICU families, however. Hospital staff eat their lunches outside or bring their children to play in the park. It also serves as a hopeful view for those in the hospital rooms and medical offices that look out on the playground, including the Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center, where those touched by cancer can go for resources and support.

The Wolfs also have brought their two young children, Max, 8, and Remi, 5, to enjoy the park that commemorates their brother.

"This was our way to honor (Jack's) legacy," Paige said. "To show that his life had a purpose."