Newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit at CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital are celebrating Halloween a little early by dressing up their tiny babies.
The Halloween celebration organized by nurses and staff at the hospital’s NICU offers families a sense of healing after the long hours they spend there.
Having spent more than a month in the hospital, and still a month left to go, Callie Hennigan recalls the night her newborn was delivered in a wheelchair.
“It was surprising and unexpected. I was lying in bed, and my water broke. We headed over here, and we didn’t even make it,” said Hennigan. Her son, Rowan, was born prematurely at 28 weeks, four days, and he weighed 3 pounds.
“We went through the emergency room,” she recalled. “They’re bringing me up to the room, and his head was out in the elevator. When we get to the room, they’re like, ‘Can you make it to the bed?’ I was like, ‘Pretty sure he’s gonna fall out.’ So they had to cut my shorts off and everything. ... Then he came, and he’s perfectly healthy.”
The now 1-month-old was dressed in a dinosaur costume, and his mother says the staff have nicknamed him the “milky raptor-saurus.”
Each year, nurses and staff orchestrate the tradition: outfitting the hospital’s tiniest patients in handmade costumes, transforming the NICU with Halloween spirit, where families can create memories even in the most unexpected circumstances. Nurses select or hand-make costumes for the babies under their care, with themes ranging from Cookie Monster to cowgirl charm. Families are invited to participate in a friendly “costume contest,” a tradition that has taken place for the past five years.
“It’s the best job ever. Nobody plans to be in the NICU, but these little things make it just a bit brighter,” shares nurse Rebecca Serrano. The holiday represents more than just costumes for Serrano and her team — it’s an opportunity to help parents find moments of joy during a challenging time.
Rudy Olsen is just over four days old. He came late-preterm, three weeks early. He was dressed as a pirate, and his parents Bailey and Zack Olsen were making preparations for their release. Though their visit to the NICU was short, it does not mean it wasn’t stressful.
“He was late; she was scheduled to have a normal induction due to complications with pregnancy,” Zack Olsen explained. “As she was progressing, she reached a point where the doctor made the decision that was best for her to have an emergency C-section for her health as well as for the baby’s health. … He was born healthy, good weight, good reactions but had some complications, and (they) admitted him immediately to the NICU in order to support him from a respiratory standpoint.”
Now, just four days later, the family is getting released to go home. Both parents are grateful for the staff and doctors who helped them feel at ease during their time in the NICU.
“I’m really grateful that we did choose to deliver here, because our baby did have to go to the NICU, and he’s so well taken care of. And also everyone is happy and so loving and great with him,” said Bailey Olsen
Ashton and Kenzie Chilcote’s son was born at 32 weeks of gestation, and he has been in the NICU for three weeks. Friday’s celebration provided much-needed levity, as they were not sharing the holiday with their two older boys.
“Everyone here has done an awesome job putting together costumes and decorating for the season,” Ashton Chilcote said. “Our kids aren’t able to be home with us here this year, and so we’re just really grateful for them and for the experience.”
Their son, Roman, was dressed as the Cookie Monster and was surrounded by bags of various cookies.
Eight-day-old baby girl Isla Klasen was decked out in “glamping” attire — glamorous camping — with her parents, Kristie and Andrew Klasen.
Shizuku Sasagawa, who is 9 days old and was born to Kayleigh and Shohei Sasagawa, was dressed as a cowgirl key charm.
Every year, costumes are donated to the families once the celebration is over or if the family is released. More babies will be added to the original five as the holiday approaches next week.
Maura Lee, the hospital’s director of operations, couldn’t have put it better, saying, “The NICU nurses give their hearts every year to do stuff like that. We’re better off for it.”