ATIVESITE | New NICU Snow Shop Helps Families During Holidays | Cincinnati Children’s
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/n/nicu
For some patient families, the holidays are a stressful time.
“I’ve worked in the NICU for 20 years and December is a very hard month,” said Nataline Myers, a nurse practitioner at Cincinnati Children’s. “A lot of our families are from out of state, and they all have their own family traditions. Sometimes those family traditions get halted because their baby is in the hospital.”
To help alleviate stress, NICU care teams started a new tradition with the first annual “NICU Snow Shop” held earlier this month inside the family library on the fourth floor of Location G. Parents were able to pick out a toy in person for free courtesy of donations made to the hospital.
“We got different toys specifically for different age groups,” Myers said. “We had our infant section, and we had our toddler section. Plus, lots of books since reading is so important. It’s an opportunity for families to step away, have a little fun, bring a smile and a bit of joy.”
Natosha Harrison’s baby girl, Aurora, has been in the NICU since July.
“I thought it was pretty cool,” Harrison said. “I picked out a little toy and some books. Aurora loves the rattle. She loves the noises and when I read to her.”
Lacy Whipp of West Virginia enjoyed shopping for a toy in-person for her baby daughter, Maddie.
“We normally spend the majority of our time here so to go out and shop‒we probably wouldn’t be able to do that necessarily,” Whipp said. “It was nice to be able to actually see the presents in front of us and to choose something for her.”
Whipp also picked out a toy for her son, Grayson, age 3, to help with family bonding.
“The gift for the sibling is a tangible reminder that a new member of the family is here and hopefully will bring excited anticipation for the family to be reunited when baby is discharged,” Myers said.
Prashanthi Selvakumar shopped for a new toy for her daughter, Akshara. She has been at the hospital since her birth in October and will also likely spend the holidays at the hospital.
“We got her a mobile, so I think she’s going to love it,” said Selvakumar. “A big thank you to all the nurses and doctors.”
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