NICU nurse spreads holiday joy with handcrafted hats for newborns
- In Fort Worth, Texas, Kathryn Callahan works as a NICU nurse and crochets hats for infants in her care.
- Over the past ten years, she has created nearly 1,500 hats for babies celebrating various holidays.
- Her efforts provide comfort and joy to families facing the challenges of having a newborn in the NICU.
In Fort Worth, Texas, Kathryn Callahan, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse at Texas Health Southwest, dedicates extra time beyond her 12-hour shifts to create festive hats and costumes for newborns in the NICU. Knowing how challenging it is for parents who must spend Thanksgiving and other holidays apart from their babies, Callahan aims to create a sense of normalcy in an otherwise difficult situation. Over the course of a decade, she has crocheted nearly 1,500 items for various holidays, ensuring each infant feels special during crucial milestones. Parents, such as Abigail and Stephen Hoekstra, whose premature son Eric has been in the NICU for 50 days, express their gratitude for her efforts, noting that the festive atmosphere significantly helps them cope with their circumstances. Through her labor of love, Callahan hopes to communicate to families the dedication and care of NICU staff and provide a little joy during tough times, ultimately improving the families’ experiences in the hospital.