D47 Students Sew Felt Hearts For Babies In ICU, Their Moms

CRYSTAL LAKE , IL — About 60 eighth graders at Hannah Beardsley Middle School who are learning to sew will create fleece hearts next week for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago. Known as “inspirational hearts” or “lovies,” the hand-sewn items will be provided to moms (or dads) whose infants have been admitted to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit to help them bond with their child, according to the news release. Each family is given two hearts - one for the baby and one for the mom.

One heart is placed under the baby and the other heart is given to the mom to place next to her skin. Each heart absorbs the scent of the wearer. When the mom comes to visit the baby, she exchanges her heart for her baby’s heart, so both mom and baby begin to connect and bond through scent, according to the news release.

Students will be working on the sewing project during FACS (family and consumer sciences) class on Feb. 14 and 15.

PHOTO VIA DISTRICT 47