District 8 proves again that they are GREAT!
GFWC Florida’s District 8 Clubs joined forces to accomplish a huge task! Blankets for Babies District Project was the brainchild of two of our members, Debbie and Jolie. What a response from our District 8 clubwomen…imagine our surprise to be presented with over 130 blankets from our sister clubs to benefit the littlest patients at Tampa General Hospital! Congrats to all for a job well done!
Message from nurse at Tampa General Hospital:
In our NICU of 82 beds, each patient has his/her own private room. These rooms allow us to provide a quiet environment so that our little patients can rest, grow and heal. Our smallest and sickest patients stay in incubators. These incubators are really good at maintaining temperatures and providing some barrier from noise, however they provide no barrier to light.
That is why we utilize incubator covers and blankets (when no covers are available). The blankets and covers allow us to block out light and also noise. The smallest and sickest patients require minimal stimulation. The blankets help us promote that quiet, dark space.
Some blankets do go home with families and incubator covers usually stay in the NICU. Families are always thankful for the blankets. We appreciate quilted for incubator covers, as well as no sew fleece. The bigger ones we use as covers and the smaller ones we utilize as a sheet for the basinet or a blanket for the baby.
As a NICU nurse, I can say that the covers really do make a difference. There is a big difference from a plain baby blanket or a colorful quilt put over a bed. The colorful ones bring cheerfulness to the room. We are truly thankful for your time, skill and donation of covers and blankets.