On Jan. 26, the Jimmy Carter ECHS TAFE organization headed to Edinburg Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance and delivered beanies to the infants in intensive care. NICU provides specialized care for infants still needing support in various areas, like breathing, cardiac and pulmonary function support, and others. Many of these infants are born prematurely or suffer from congenital disabilities.
"We started this project because I was a NICU baby myself, and we thought that the beanies could provide some kind of comfort for the parents whose babies are still in the NICU," senior and leader of the project Jared Mora said.
"After each student received their kits, I taught them how to make a beanie," TAFE sponsor Vanessa Brown said. "They went off from there."
"There is an assumption that [students] are more virtual and always on their phones," Brown said. "But more students enjoyed knitting and thought it was relaxing."
Since the project benefited the students, Mora said he would do it again for the smiles on the parents' faces when their children were given beanies.
"I feel that emotionally this benefitted the parents more," Mora said. "This whole project was started for them.