For families facing the challenges of having a premature baby in the NICU, the holiday season can look very different. For that reason, small gestures of kindness and moments of joy can make a world of difference.
Megan McRae’s son Lorenzo was born preterm at 27 weeks and spent a few weeks in the Mount Sinai Hospital NICU. Although their days in the NICU are in the past, the experience is still deeply etched in Megan’s memory. And now, with a full heart and a desire to give back, she is carrying on what has become an annual tradition, delivering hand-crafted ornaments to support the families of babies currently admitted to our NICU.
In particular, she recalls the feelings of loneliness and uncertainty during those difficult first few months of her son’s life. But through it all, Megan and her husband were deeply moved by the compassionate care that their son received.
“All of the staff at Mount Sinai Hospital were incredibly nice – it was a very welcoming experience,” shared Megan. “And now, I want to give back to other families, because being in the NICU can be very difficult, and I want to help parents feel less alone.”
The initial desire sparked a movement, and she teamed up with a friend, a local business owner, who makes ornaments by hand. With Megan’s vision, and the creative expertise of her friend, the team got a head start in August to create more than 70 ornaments – one for each baby.
Imprinted on each one are the words “Preemie Warrior” – a powerful reminder to families and validation of their unique experience. And while a “typical” day in the NICU is anything but that, particularly during the holidays, each ornament offers a touch of joy and perhaps some normalcy to those families with preterm babies.
Lorenzo, who is now a healthy, active five year old, came with his mom to help distribute the ornaments in the NICU. Although he doesn’t have any memory of the time he spent there, Megan shares that he was “wowed” by the beeps from the machines, monitors and medical equipment.
“That was one thing he noticed right away,” shares Megan. “I said, those were the machines you were hooked up to.”
She still feels a strong sense of connection and appreciation coming back to the place where her son spent the first weeks of his life. For Megan, the ornament donation is a gesture of her support. She wants families to know that, “no matter how long they are in the NICU, or what their journey looks like, they are important, and their babies are resilient.”
Megan is also a longstanding member of the Mount Sinai NICU Parent Advisory Committee, and offers volunteer peer support to other families with babies currently admitted to our NICU, as part of the Parent Buddy program.
The challenges of parenting can be overwhelming, let alone from the perspective of parenting a preterm infant, and these small acts of kindness can bring a wave of hope to families.
Each year, Mount Sinai Hospital oversees more than 7,000 births, including approximately 1,100 premature deliveries. We specialize in high-risk pregnancies and provide innovative and specialized care for extremely premature and low-birth weight infants in our Level 3 NICU.
