‘Little bit of joy’: Lincoln nonprofit crafting holiday sweaters for NICU babies

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Families who know the NICU experience firsthand are spreading holiday cheer in a big way.

Inside the Front Porch coffee shop, tables were covered in glitter, glue and tiny sweaters.

The nonprofit Connected Forever is helping families turn fabric and felt into hope.

“We just know how much it means to have a little bit of joy during those days and we just want to give back to those families,” said Brittney Morris, the Miracles Family coordinator.

Volunteers, parents and kids designed tiny “ugly” sweaters to pass out, all to bring a little bit of cheer to babies spending their first holiday in the NICU.

“We know what a hard time it is to be in the NICU,” Morris said. “So just being able to provide a little bit of joy to that day and something special, it just means a lot to us to be able to give back because we have sat in that same chair and we understand what it’s like.”

The organization works to support families who have experienced infant loss, pregnancy loss, or a stay in the NICU.

And the sweaters they’re making bring comfort and connection; a small but powerful way to remind families that they’re not alone.

“The biggest thing we’ve found is that peer support is so important,” Morris said. “For somebody to talk to somebody, even if it’s someone they’ve just met, who truly understands what it’s like to sit in that same chair and watch your baby in the islet, which is the clear box that they’re in. It wasn’t how it was supposed to be.”