New mother crochets, collects yarn octopi for use in Detroit hospital’s NICU

Joelle Haley went into labor on Christmas Day. Her son, Kieran, was born two days later, premature at only 24 weeks. To help calm herself, Haley would grab yarn and needles and crochet each day while in the Children's Hospital of Michigan Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at DMC Hutzel Women's Hospital in Detroit. It's been Haley's hobby since second grade, and something she's now using to help calm other premature babies in the NICU and their mothers. “I had heard a nurse mention that they wished that they had some here, and I asked what she meant out of curiosity,” Haley told reporters. “And since I crochet myself, I was like, ‘I can help with that. I'll find a pattern.’ And I posted on a Facebook page and had a lot of people reach out—more than I expected.” Amigurumi, from the Japanese, are knitted but mostly crocheted, small stuffed toy animals made of colorful yarn. The tentacles on the yarn octopi give babies something soft to grab, clutch, and pull instead of breathing and feeding tubes, wires, and other lifesaving and monitoring equipment. Some babies receiving care require breathing support, said Dr. Jorge Lua, medical director at Hutzel Women’s Hospital, which is part of the Detroit Medical Center. “Some babies will have security blankets. Our babies will have the octopi to keep them cuddled and make them more secure, decrease the anxiety on the part of the baby,” Lua said. Haley said she often saw her son tug at the tubes connecting him to NICU equipment. Another benefit of the octopi is that they help soothe the babies and their parents. “It helps me feel comforted that I was able to help other children,” said Haley, who lives in suburban Detroit. “Seeing my son with his (octopus) helps me know that he'll be safe and comforted when I'm not here. So, I hope it brings that same feeling to other families.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.