Babies in NICU get First Halloween Costumes

EDGEWOOD, KY (WKRC) - With Halloween just days away, some tiny babies got some extra costume help thanks to a special art program.

Sometimes you can't just step into a costume store and pick out the perfect character; sometimes those characters need to come to you.

Experts in the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood got the help of St. Henry District High School in making those babies' first Halloween memorable for their parents.

He's up from a little more than two pounds at birth, and Wednesday, thanks to a special school art program, 31-week-old Braydon got his first Halloween costume.

"By celebrating these first milestones, that does help mom," said St. Elizabeth Healthcare NICU nurse manager, Tracy Burch. "That's just her moment to feel like, okay, this is what I would be doing if the baby were home with me; I would be celebrating their first Halloween."

And because it is such a unique time in a baby's life and a mother's life, the goal is to let them know that others care, and they are not alone. Who better to do that than the students who chose to take on an art project with a purpose?

"Even though these parents and babies are strangers, this gesture is huge for them," said Katie Baker, an art teacher at St. Henry District High School.

When the students were asked if they wanted to help make tiny costumes for the tiniest patients, it wasn't really a question.

"It was more of like babies are cute; babies in costume are really cute," said junior Joey Boudot.

And when the costumes were shared with patients Wednesday--from butterflies to superheroes--Maggie Tagher found out "it's really cool to see their baby have Halloween costumes."

What these students did, was really big in a small way, according to Burch.

"[It] just gives a sense of normalcy to a very un-normal situation," she said.