Happy Halloween from the NICU Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 30 October 2018 16:17 PM America/Los_Angeles Happy Halloween from the NICU Costumes Based on Characters From Famous Children s Books Are Hand-Sewn by Cedars-Sinai Volunteers download Your browser does not support HTML5 video. Families of babies being cared for in the Cedars-Sinai Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) have the opportunity to dress their tiny infants in specially made costumes for Halloween. Video by Cedars-Sinai. It's a Cedars-Sinai tradition: Families of babies being cared for in the Cedars-Sinai Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) have the opportunity to dress their tiny infants in specially made costumes for Halloween. The costumes are all hand-sewn by volunteers, and are inspired by characters from famous children's books. Some of the costumes include Dr. Suess characters such as Horton, Lorax, and Thing 1 and Thing 2. Other costumes are inspired by books such as The Hungry Caterpillar and The Rainbow Fish. The costumes are specifically sewn for hospitalized babies who can be as small as a pound, and are designed to accommodate medical devices and tubes. Dorothy Williams, a retired Cedars-Sinai employee who has led the volunteer costume effort giveaway for the past 20 years, says, "The look of happiness in the parent's eyes, that for 20 or 30 minutes their child is experiencing something normal, is a wonderful thing to see." Mom Candice Barges, whose baby Donya was dressed as a bumble bee, agreed. "It brings some light into the NICU, into the whole experience," Barges said. "It's a little bit of fun and laughter" that gives parents a bit of relief from worrying about their baby's health. Said Jesse Siglow whose baby, Olivia, was dressed as a rainbow fish, "This brings a bit of lightness to something that was unexpected for us. It's important to be able to remember the fun things." One of the volunteers is 45-year-old Katie Boeck, who was cared for in the Cedars-Sinai NICU at birth. "I was born in the early 1970s and they didn't have this kind of special thing then for my parents, so this is my way of giving back, to say thanks to the doctors and nurses who helped save my life," Boeck said. "It's a lot of fun, everybody's happy to have this feeling of normalcy for a little bit." Other volunteers lending a hand on Halloween include several local Girl Scouts, and Cedars-Sinai employees and volunteers, past and present. As seen in the video above, the Cedars-Sinai staff members in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, part of the Maxine Dunitz Children's Health Center, also dress in costume for the holiday. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics October 05, 2022 06:13 AM America/Los_Angeles Cedars-Sinai is opening free flu vaccine pop-up clinics to help the community combat the upcoming flu season, which is shaping up to be a rough one.“We want to make it as easy as possible for people … Read more Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art October 04, 2022 06:05 AM America/Los_Angeles Cedars-Sinai is celebrating Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month with a specially curated gallery showcasing the work of Hispanic and Latinx artists.The artwork is available to the public through a … Read more 15 Years of Heart October 03, 2022 06:01 AM America/Los_Angeles Pioneering heart care is a tradition at Cedars-Sinai. It’s a tradition that took root in 1924, when Cedars-Sinai became home to the first electrocardiogram machine in Los Angeles. The roots grew … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release Happy Halloween from the NICU Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay: Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW: Want New Omicron Booster? Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home