Project Snuggle is helping Starr’s Mill High make a difference in the lives of families when they might need it the most. Approximately 400,000 babies are born prematurely in the United States each year, and Project Snuggle brings together student volunteers to make blankets for the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) at local hospitals.
For Stacy Nichols, guidance secretary at Starr’s Mill, the cause is close to her heart. Her grandson was in the NICU for 5 months, so she saw firsthand how important it is to the development of premature babies. He just recently turned 4 years old, and he is happy, healthy, and growing.
She noticed blankets covering the isolettes that keep the babies warm and safe from germs. The blankets help reduce noise, light, and visual stimulation to mimic the womb, which aids in brain development.
When babies graduate from the NICU, they get to take the blankets with them, and Stacy wondered where they came from. Nurses were making the coverings, and she saw an opportunity to help.
Nichols led the charge to make blankets by starting Project Snuggle, and she asked her Starr’s Mill community to get involved. National Honor Society, Black Student Association, and Beta Club students volunteer to make blankets, which they pass along to their partners with the NICU Parent Club. The blankets are cleaned and sanitized so they can be ready to use in the NICU.
The project has been a success, with the volunteers donating hundreds of blankets every year. They’ve also started making scent squares and bonding hearts. They can be worn against the parent’s skin and placed with the baby in the isolette so they can bond with each other’s scents.
“The students at Starr’s Mill have been tremendous supporters of this outreach,” said Nichols. “If this is something that excites you, we invite you to join us in our loving endeavor.”
To get involved with Project Snuggle, email nichols.stacy@fcboe.org
