MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Made with love for the smallest of heads. The NICU nurses at Saint Francis Hospital love to make sure their littlest patients have a special gift for holidays: hats!
“There is no job better in the whole world than being an NICU nurse,” said Karen Busby, a now-retired NICU nurse who loves to crochet hats for the newborns.
“We specialize in taking care of sick babies,” said Maggie Dibble, NICU nurse manager.
For the nurses, it’s not just about taking special care, but spreading love.
“The NICU takes pictures of the babies for the holidays,” said Busby.
“We do the pictures for the parents. Because the babies are not home with the parents. So, we do a snapshot for the parents to take and share with their families,” said Dibble.
“I have crocheted for many, many years,” said Busby. “Maggie reached out to me and asked about a specific hat and asked if I could do it. I sat down and found a pattern for that one and worked on it and then found some more that I liked and just kept going and going and going.”
“She gave me a bag full of beautiful hats for all seasons,” said Dibble. “I knew she had that talent. Her work is incredible.”
“It’s a very relaxing hobby for me. I like to sit down and just relax and be creative. I like to make things. When I think about these babies and how sweet they look in them,” said Busby.
“I think she’s amazing. She taught me everything I know,” said Dibble.
“It’s kind of funny to me that I actually learned to crochet from a nursing assistant that I started working with here when I first came that many years ago. She taught me how to crochet. So, it’s kind a like I’m going full circle and coming back to the NICU,” said Busby.
You can check out the hats each holiday when Saint Francis releases some of the adorable pictures of the newborns.