Cuddles, Kisses and Books

Welcome to Cuddles, kisses and books! Back in March of 2018, my son Lucas was born. He was born very sick and required special care. He was sent to the NICU (NIK-yoo). NICU stands for neonatal intensive care unit. At the NICU, Lucas received around-the-clock care from his medical team. Due to Lucas' delicate health conditions there was nothing I could do to comfort him. As much as I wanted to cuddle and kiss him, I couldn't. There were to many wires in the way. I started to bring books to feel less lonely and help pass the time. As I read, I began to feel comfort and strength. While I may not have been able to hold him, by reading I felt like my voice was holding him. I finally found a way to bond with my NICU baby. Fast forward to 5 years later, September of 2020 I started a NICU book drive for NICU awareness month. Every year I bring all the books I received to Mt Sinai West NICU. My hope is to spread some joy, comfort and strength to the families that are on their NICU journey.