GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Trinity Health Grand Rapids recently received 16 new state-of-the-art incubators in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
For premature babies, regulating temperature is critical for their growth. That is why incubators are vital. However, light also affects newborns, as their eyes are not yet developed and too much light can be damaging.
Thus, the new incubators need covers. Often, they use quilts, but they fall off easily and can get in the way of medical staff. So, the hospital needs special, custom incubator covers.
Dr. Steven Gelfand, the regional medical director for newborn medicine at Trinity Health West Michigan, knew just who to call.
"Now, we have a large number of women working together," said Gelfand.
Abigail's Attic answered the call to help. The group, founded by Judy Fields, is a West Michigan volunteer group turning donated wedding dresses into burial gowns for stillborn babies.
"It ties in with that," said Fields about the incubator covers. "It's all together."
Fields said she had instant replies to messages to her group for help making the covers. They will be making 15 of them out of the basement of Byron Center United Methodist Church where they work.
"We want to help the hospital," said Fields. "We just wanted to help."
Abigail's Attic has been providing gowns and other items to Trinity Health Grand Rapids and other hospitals around the area since 2016.
"These covers, the way they’re made, really make the nurses lives easier," said Gelfand. "I can't thank them enough."
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