Unexpected tragedy strikes—that’s just life sometimes. As I write these words, I find myself writing with one hand while holding my 1 week old baby girl in the NICU with the other arm. And I must say, this is a pretty odd place to be sitting. The emotional roller coaster of thankfulness for a new baby, but also fear and uncertainty as she is hooked up to multiple wires and tubes has a way of making even the most confident adult feel rattled. In your community right now, there are multiple families sitting in a similar room. The smallest things can make the biggest difference to a family in this position. Here are a few fresh ideas of things you can do to support families with babies in the NICU.-Crochet a ton of baby hats, tiny blankets, socks, etc. and deliver one to each room
-Collect a stack of puzzle books (Crosswords, Sudoku, Word Finder) for the waiting room
-Gather small toys and coloring books with crayons to leave in the waiting room for older kids who are waiting on their parents
-Do a book drive and deliver children’s books to each room with a note written inside the front cover of the book saying “We’re praying for you”
-Buy a small teddy bear or soft toy for each baby and deliver to their rooms
-Create prayer request cards that you can leave at the nurse’s desk. Work it out with the hospital for a church staff member to come back by and pick up cards that have been filled out so your church’s prayer team can continue to pray.
-Leave a stack of church pens and/or notepads to be placed in each room for families to use.
-Is it near a holiday? Make (or take) a holiday-themed gift! Mini Christmas stockings, valentine’s teddy bears, etc.
-Write encouragement notes with Scripture verses for the parents and siblings of the babies in the NICU.
Get creative with simple things you can take or do to be an encouragement to families who are spending their days and nights with their newborn in the NICU. You most likely will not be able to be in contact with the families themselves there in the NICU, but instead will leave the items with the nurses. No matter what you do or take, be sure to include a hand-written note with a promise of your prayers and an invitation to worship at your church on Sunday and something that shares the good news of Jesus.
