MERCYHEALTH NICU BABIES GIFTED WITH HANDMADE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

MERCYHEALTH NICU BABIES GIFTED WITH HANDMADE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

ROCKFORD, Illinois—Dressing your newborn up for Halloween is a memorable moment for most parents, but for babies born prematurely, a traditional costume isn’t always an option as they recover in the hospital. But Mercyhealth is making sure parents don’t miss out on their baby’s first Halloween experience, thanks to one incredible nurse.

JoAnn Gorsline, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse at Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea Hospital–Riverside, made more than 52 costumes to ensure babies who stay in the NICU at Mercyhealth in the month of October have a Halloween costume. All costumes are unique and handmade by Gorsline. New costumes this year include Peter Pan and Tinkerbell.

“I am motivated to do this because of the joy that it brings to the parents, especially when they see their little one in a costume. It helps make the stay in the NICU a little bit more of a normalcy than what it normally is” said Gorsline, who has been making the costumes for nine years now.

Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea Hospital–Riverside is home to the region’s most experienced Level III 52-bed NICU, which features the region’s only 12-bed Small Baby Unit, caring for the smallest preemies, those babies born less than 32 weeks’ gestation.

Mercyhealth is designated by the state of Illinois as a Level III Regional Perinatal Center. This designation is the highest in the state, reflecting Mercyhealth’s specialized expertise and comprehensive resources to treat the smallest and sickest babies.

As the Northwest Illinois Level III Perinatal Center, Mercyhealth is the referral center for the 11-county northern Illinois region, including Rockford and the surrounding area. Mercyhealth also provides services to three southern Wisconsin counties.