On Monday, newborns in the Boekelheide Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls received a special surprise: their very first Halloween costumes, crafted by students from Lincoln High School.
Students from Kali Sloup’s family and consumer sciences (FACS) and fashion design classes, along with the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) chapter, worked diligently over the past few weeks to create these costumes.
Sloup was inspired to make Halloween costumes for NICU babies after visiting a website for FACS teachers. She and her students designed a variety of costumes, which they delivered in person just before Halloween.
Aylin Moreno, a junior at Lincoln High School and a member of FCCLA, shared her thoughts on the project. She felt delivering the costumes was significant because she has had family members experience time in the NICU. She wanted to create a special memory for the parents and their newborns. “It’s a good opportunity to help parents connect with their child,” Moreno said.
Katlyn Soldatke, a senior and peer mentor in the fashion design class, expressed her desire to make the costumes to support parents during what can be a difficult time in the NICU. She aimed to create something special for the babies.
Viviana Esmeralda Ramos, who welcomed her twin girls, Xochitl and Gema, on October 22, shared her joy. Coincidentally, the day was also her 30th birthday. Ramos said she and her babies are healthy after arriving early at 35 weeks, and she looks forward to taking them home to meet their other three siblings. She expressed excitement about celebrating Halloween with her daughters, with Xochitl dressed as Tinker Bell and Gema as Buzz Lightyear.
Sloup recognized that many families in the NICU may not have anticipated spending their first Halloween with a newborn in the hospital. She wanted to provide them with a moment of “levity and joy” to celebrate with their children.
Related Topics:
