Cigna group donates 600 baby caps with a homemade feel to NWTHS NICU babies
“At the end of the day, the strongest person in the NICU are those babies,” said Lana Hawthorne, mother of premature baby Elijah.
On Thursday, Nov. 17, World Prematurity Day, Cigna's grassroots knitting and crocheting group, A Common Thread, donated 600 baby caps to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Northwest Texas Healthcare System.
“Cigna is about whole-person health and providing physical and emotional support. These hats go a long way in doing that," said Nick Silbert, Provider of Contracting Director for Cigna. "Not only will they provide a physical warmth for the babies to grow stronger, but the hats provide a touch of homemade care for that families that are facing a challenging time, especially with the upcoming holiday season.”
November is prematurity awareness month. According to the March of Dimes website, 1 in 10 babies are born premature. A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks; a baby born before that is considered premature.
“Having a baby in the NICU is hard, and it has been a rollercoaster. You have good days and bad days, and it is so important to have a good support system,” mother Hawthorne said.
More:Cigna group donates 600 baby caps with a homemade feel to NWTHS NICU babies
Hawthorne and Francisco Ortiz's baby boy Elijah was born at 37 weeks and 4 days. "Seeing these caps donated shows how much people care about these NICU and preemie babies," Hawthorne said. "When Elijah was first born, he was full of wires, but when they put the hats on, it brings comfort knowing that everything is going to be okay. These people have taken time out of their day to make this hat for our babies.”
Northwest Texas Healthcare System’s NICU is made up of 32 beds and sees around 400 to 500 babies a year.
“We take care of some of the smallest, sickest babies in our region," said Lindsay Mosley, Director of Children's Services at Northwest Texas Healthcare System. "Some of these families are here for a few weeks, while others are here for months. These caps will help with bonding. Seeing something as simple as a cute hat will help the mom feel more like a parent instead of an observer.”
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The donated hats will help keep these bundles of joy warm and save energy to grow strong. A Common Thread is described as a grassroots knitting and crocheting group that in its 10 years has sent around 25,000 caps to NICUs throughout the country.
These caps were donated in honor of World Prematurity Day and will provide warmth and comfort to babies facing serious health challenges. A Common Thread started as a community service project as a result of Cigna’s national partnership with March of Dimes.
After his six-week stay in NICU, Elijah, as well as parents Lana and Francisco, got to head home on Nov. 17, World Prematurity Day, to enjoy the holidays as a healthy family.
For more information on NWTHS NICU, visit their website at: https://www.nwths.com/services/children-nicu .
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Babies at NWTHS NICU get homemade gaps from Cigna group Common Thread
