The tiny babies in the NICU at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital showed off their giant personalities as they were dressed up in costumes for Halloween.
From adorable triplets dressed up as little chicken nuggets, to a mermaid, a wizard, a dragon, a kangaroo and a candy corn, the nurses and volunteers within the Memorial Healthcare System went above and beyond with some festive outfits.
“Today we’re having the Halloween showcase. It’s an exciting time for moms and we also have a great volunteer service that has provided costumes and our dressing up their babies for their first trick or treating and Halloween," said Janessa Alonso, Director of Nursing at the NICU at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. "It’s really boosting morale and helping them find some normalcy in the neonatal intensive care unit setting."
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The NICUs at Memorial Hospital West and Memorial Hospital Miramar also participated in the Halloween Showcase.
Even golden retriever and therapy dog Freedom got in on the action dressed as a pumpkin.
One baby named Ashlyn is just four days old in the NICU and already made her debut for her first Halloween as a pirate. Her mother was thrilled to participate in the fun.
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“This is my first daughter and I love anything festive, so I was super excited knowing that I would deliver her prior to Halloween," said Sanquaneice Henderson-Pinkney, Ashlyn’s mother. "I went out and purchased her a costume and cute shirt for the day of, however, she is in the NICU. I thought all was lost and then when I was visiting my baby this morning they came and said, hey would it be okay if we dressed her in a Halloween costume? And I was like, absolutely, I love it."
The smallest and most critically ill babies end up in the NICU as their little bodies develop, so dressing up their babies brought some much-needed joy to parents who have spent some long hours in that hospital.
“This has been a really traumatic experience because it was so unexpected and so I feel like today has been the little bit of joy that I’ve been looking for. And so I just feel so encouraged today,” said Henderson-Pinkney.
