Fort Worth NICU nurse spreads holiday cheer with handmade hats for newborns
FORT WORTH — A Fort Worth nurse is going above and beyond to make sure her patients in the neonatal intensive care unit feel special this Thanksgiving, knowing how difficult it is for parents to be separated from their babies for the holidays.
"We just want them to feel as normal as possible in a very abnormal situation," said Kathryn Callahan, a NICU nurse at Texas Health Southwest.
When she leaves a 12-hour shift at the hospital, her hands don't stop working to take care of her patients. Callahan crochets hats and costumes for every baby in the NICU for every holiday – Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
"Yeah, that's all I do at home," she said. "I do this a lot while I'm watching football."
Over the past decade, she's made nearly 1,500 hats.
"Knowing that she takes time to do all of that is, I mean we can't put it into words how meaningful it is," said Abigail Hoekstra, whose son Eric is one of Callahan's patients.
He was born three months early.
"Honestly, I think that me and my husband were both in shock," said Abigail. "And so it didn't really fully sink in, at least for me, until a couple of days later, that okay, he's coming, but he's not coming home. He's going to be here for a long haul."
Eric has been in the NICU for 50 days and counting. He spent his first Halloween at the hospital and will be there for his first Thanksgiving too.
As the Hoekstras grieve not being able to spend the holidays together at home, like they envisioned, the festive atmosphere Callahan creates goes a long way.
"Just seeing how she treats Eric really helps," said dad Stephen Hoekstra. "Just peace of mind for us at least, and I can only imagine for other families as well."
Callahan said she hopes it shows the families how much the NICU staff loves them and their babies.
"And that's what it's all about, just giving their families the best experiences that we can here and that includes helping them feel special," she said.
It's a true labor of love that provides a little bit of joy in the toughest of times.