Families and staff at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) recently gathered to celebrate Halloween with a tradition focused on the hospital’s youngest patients. Parents selected hand-sewn costumes, created by Cedars-Sinai volunteers, designed specifically for infants in the NICU.
Alva Pantig Gregorio, a clinical social worker at Cedars-Sinai, described the importance of these celebrations for families facing difficult circumstances. “It’s hard to be in the NICU,” Gregorio said. “Celebrations can be difficult to keep up with when you’re at the hospital with a fragile baby. So, we bring the baby’s first Halloween to them.”
The costumes were inspired by children’s books and included designs such as pumpkins, watermelon, snowman, caterpillar, ear of corn, and peanut. Each costume was made with Velcro and tailored to fit around medical equipment used by the babies.
Lauren Masciarelli shared her experience after her son Wesley was born two months early. She appreciated being able to choose a pumpkin costume for his first Halloween. “I always liked being a pumpkin as a kid, and I joked with my husband that his first costume next year could be a pumpkin. So, when I saw this, I had to go for it,” Masciarelli said. “This costume is the best quality costume I think he’ll ever have in his life.”
Parents were allowed to take home their child’s costume as a keepsake from their time in the NICU.
Dana Guerin, director of the Shapell Guerin Family Foundation, attended the event and recognized those involved for their commitment. “It’s very clear that there is so much hard work and so much love that goes into this event,” Guerin said. “They go the extra mile to bring vulnerable babies, their families and the community together for a day to remember.”
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is located in Los Angeles and has operated since 1902. The hospital includes pediatric services and functions as a training facility. In 2022, it admitted more than 50,000 patients according to its annual report. Its current president is Thomas M. Priselac.
More information about safety tips for children can be found on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Helmet Safety for Your Kids.
