Tonight children will fill my neighborhood in search of candy. Today is Halloween. Costumes will worn, glow sticks will light up the sky and neighborhoods everywhere will witness Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Princess and more swarming the streets looking to fill up their Halloween buckets.
We have been in preparation, for Halloween, at my house for weeks. My daughters have been brainstorming on costume ideas. The right materials have been purchased and all things are ready for a fun evening.
Unfortunately, not all families are preparing for Halloween. The families who have a little one in the NICU at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri are one example of those who are not able to fully participate in the holiday festivities. The NICU is for extremely premature babies who are need of medical assistance and are unable to go home with their families. Because of the special needs of these tiny children families spend day and night in the NICU.
A group of volunteers with the March of Dimes and St. Luke’s Hospital decided to help the families in the NICU celebrate Halloween. Volunteers spoke with each family about their babies and asked about their personalities. The volunteers then worked to costumes and throw a party for the families who are missing on all the excitement beyond the walls of the NICU.
It did not take long to make these tiny costumes and organize the party, but it brought huge smiles to the parents who saw their little ones in superhero colors and butterfly wings. It was no doubt a welcome distraction to the very serious life-saving work within the NICU. These volunteers changed the game in the NICU because they used their gifts of sewing to bring joy to families who pace the halls of a hospital worrying about their children.
Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
