This time of year, there are a variety of “heroic” kid-related viral costume posts, from the girl who dressed up like Superman for her class picture to the “woke” baby who dressed like Colin Kaepernick. I have to admit, I roll my eyes at a lot of them — I can only take so many “What this kid did on Halloween will blow your mind and make you cry”-type posts. But finally, on Oct. 31, I found the one kids-in-costumes post that truly melted my heart. It was like a Christmas miracle, but for Halloween.
At Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, volunteers from the March of Dimes along with the hospital’s NICU nurses provided 35 babies with handmade Halloween costumes. These tiny Halloween costumes do more than just create a viral #winningatHalloween post. “Families with a child born premature can spend weeks or months in the NICU and this is an emotional, often stressful time,” says Jennifer Robinson at the March of Dimes. For these parents, enjoying traditional Halloween activities “allows them a sense of normalcy, and a celebration of their baby’s first milestones, which is what every family wants to do.”
In addition to offering opportunities like these sweet costumes, the March of Dimes works year-round to fight birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Donate or find out how to help here.
NICU photographers and former NICU moms
Emmalee Schaumburg of Schaumburg Photography, Sally Morrow of Sally Morrow Photography and Helen Ransom of Faces You Love Photography, all moms of former NICU babies, photographed the babies.
NICU Halloween special delivery
The March of Dimes provided babies at Saint Luke’s Hospital with handmade Halloween costumes, a “Trick or Treat, smell my feet” card with their baby’s footprints, a hand-crocheted pumpkin filled with treats and a Halloween book that families can read together.
Wonder Woman soars
March of Dimes volunteers along with Saint Luke’s NICU nurses made the costumes.
A super-snuggle
Celebrating Halloween with their little ones allows NICU parents a sense of normalcy.
What does Superman dream of?
Dressing up premature babies gives parents in the NICU a much-needed sense of celebration and fun.
A tiny Dark Knight
March of Dimes came up with the idea of making cute costumes for NICU babies at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City through their NICU Family Support Program.
Little champ
The March of Dimes provided babies at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City with handmade Halloween costumes like this one.
A super-snoozer
March of Dimes volunteers, along with Saint Luke’s NICU nurses, made these costumes.
Pretty little butterfly
Providing tiny costumes like this is just one of the ways March of Dimes helps premature babies (and their families).
Baby Batman!
Just try not to melt at the sight of these tiny NICU superheroes.
Captain America rests up
The tiny costumes were handmade thanks to March of Dimes volunteers and hospital nurses.
Small but wonderful
Milestones like baby’s first Halloween are important to families with infants in the NICU.
Wonder Woman dreams of justice
Being in the NICU won’t hold these babies back from celebrating their first Halloween.
A real MVP
March of Dimes at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City delivered Halloween costumes and treats to around 35 babies.
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