Thanks to philanthropy, NICU families stay connected with AngelEye

Published on Monday, June 9, 2025

By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu

Photos By: Jay Ferchaud/UMMC Communications

Few things comfort new parents more than seeing their babies—but when newborns require intensive care at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, they may be hours away from their families. 

Bridging those miles is AngelEye, a camera that lets parents and other family members view their babies at the Children’s of Mississippi NICU in Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants from their cell phones and computers through a secure, password-protected platform.  

The 30 cameras were purchased through donations from Jenny Moffitt, who retired as a NICU nurse practitioner from UMMC in 2023, and Crawdad’s, a restaurant in Merigold that has raised more than $100,000 for Children’s of Mississippi, UMMC’s pediatric arm. 

The Children’s of Mississippi Wiser NICU provides care for babies born as early as 23 weeks’ gestation in an open-bay-style setting. Wiser and the neonatal intensive care floors of the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower at Children’s of Mississippi are the state’s only Level 4 NICUs, offering the highest level of neonatal care around the state. 

Sissy Frost, director of nursing for NICU, Newborn Services and Children’s Clinical Nutrition, said AngelEye is available every three hours throughout the day and night, excluding rounding and care times. 

“Everyone has loved it,” she said. “Often, mothers with babies at Wiser are recovering from childbirth or at home caring for their other children and can’t be with their babies, so this lets them check on their babies throughout the day.” 

 PaDasia and Desmone Matthews of Starkville visit their son, Desmone II, or Deuce, often at Wiser, but “we still log in to see him,” she said.  

“We look at him every time we can,” Desmone said.  

Bringing the system online at Children’s of Mississippi Wiser NICU was a team effort involving care team members, UMMC’s Division of Information Systems and AngelEye Health. 

“We are proud to partner with Children’s of Mississippi to bring our camera system to their NICU,” said Christopher Rand, CEO of AngelEye Health. “This technology is designed to bridge the gap when parents cannot be at the bedside, offering real-time, secure access to their baby’s care. By integrating our camera system, we aim to empower families, ensuring they feel connected, supported, and confident in their role as part of the care team.” 

When Moffitt, of Madison, heard about the AngelEye project, she knew she wanted to be involved. “It was my love, working in the NICU,” she said. “This will mean so much to parents, to be able to see their babies when they can’t be at the NICU with them.” 

Moffitt, who earned her BSN and MSN from the UMMC School of Nursing in 1998 and 2000, respectively, started her career as a NICU nurse at UMMC in 1979. 

“I know how comforting it would be for parents to check on their baby anytime when they can’t be there in person.” 

When Matthew Chism heard about the addition of AngelEye to the NICU at Wiser, he knew it would be a fitting memorial to Andrew Westerfield, the late owner of Crawdad’s, a restaurant in Merigold where Chism had once waited tables. 

Westerfield, who died in 2018, “was like a second dad to us,” Chism said. “He was always there for us.” 

He and fellow waitstaff member Sean Bullock wanted to honor Westerfield with a reunion where the crew would return for a night, wait tables and donate their tips toward a good cause. “We immediately thought about the children’s hospital,” he said.  

After the first reunion in 2019, “we realized this was a lot bigger than we thought it would be,” Chism said. “We raised about $7,500 in one night and agreed that we needed to do this again.” 

The event, held each year on the third Saturday of January, has grown over the years, adding an auction and a band and offering a special menu. Along with the redfish, shrimp and steaks on the menu this year was the “Mayor’s Filet,” a nod to Westerfield’s service as mayor of Merigold. 

AngelEye’s mission of connecting families with their babies is something Westerfield would have loved, Chism said, “and the name, AngelEye, fits perfectly, because we think he’s watching over us.”