There is a new project that is sweeping the world trying to make life a little more comfortable for some of its tiniest and most fragile babies. Started in Denmark, it has been found that a small stuffed octopus in the isolette can help calm the baby and keep them from grasping other tubes that are attached to them. In the womb babies are very active and play with the umbilical cord throughout the day. The tentacles are similar enough to the umbilical cord and seem to keep them more content. Here in the USA there is a group on Facebook called Octopus for a Preemie -US. I have since joined the group and have asked to become an Ambassador. In the coming days I will be contacting surrounding hospitals to see if they are interesting in having some octopi for their NICU Department. There are very strict standards for making octopi including the use of 100% cotton yarn, approved filler, dimensions of both the head and the tentacles and the stitching for the face. If you are in the USA and interested in making these please join the group . The pattern and listing of approved materials are listed in the files section.
We are working on getting hospitals all over the country to participate.
List of Hospitals Accepting Donations as of April 26, 2017
Alabama Dothan Southeast Medical Hospital
Arizona Mesa Cardon’s Children’s Hospital
Tucson Banner University Medical Center
California San Jose Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Los Angeles Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center
Santa Clarita Henry Mayo Hospital
Colorado Colorado Springs UC Health NICU
Wheat Ridge Lutheran Medical Center
Connecticut Danbury Danbury Hospital
Connecticut Childbirth and Women’s
Florida Spring Hill BayFront Spring Hill
Melbourne Holmes Medical Center
Tampa Saint Joseph’s Women’s Hospital
Trinity Medical Center of Trinity
Illinois Chicago University of Chicago Medical Comer’s Children’s Center
Springfield Memorial medical Center
Indiana Southbend Memorial
Mishawaka St. Joe NICU
Kansas Wichita Via Chrisiti St Joseph
Kentucky Louisville University of Lousville
Norton Children’s Hospital
Norton Women and Children’s Hospital
Maryland Baltimore University of Maryland Medical Center
Michigan Flint Hurley
Travers City Munson Medical Center
Grand Blanc Genesys
Minnesota Minneapolis Children’s Hospital & Clinic Rochester St Mary’s Hospital
Missouri Springfield Mercy
St Louis St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Nebraska Lincoln St Elizabeth Regional Medical Center
North Carolina Durham Duke Hospital
Gastonia Caromont Health
Ohio Canton Mercy Medical Center
Oklahoma Tulsa Saint Francis
Pennsylvania Bethlehem St. Luke’s University Health Network
Harrisburg Holy Spirit
Pinnacle Health Hospital
Reading Reading Hospital
South Carolina Lancaster Springs Memorial
Rock Hill Piedmont Medical Center
Tennessee Memphis The Med
Texas Amarillo BSA
Flower Mound Texas health Presbyterian Hospital
Fort Worth Medical City Alliance
Lubbock UMC
Plano Texas Health Resources Plano
San Antonio North Central Baptist
University Hospital
Utah Logan Logan Regional
Cache Valley
Ogden Ogden Regional Medical Center
McKay Dee Hospital
Virginia Roanoke Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
West Virginia Martinsburg Berkley Medical Center
Wisconsin Madison Meriter Hospital
Waukesha Waukesha Memorial Hospital
If you do not see a hospital near you on this list there are a lot of hospitals that are pending approval. I will update this list regularly to reflect any changes.
If you want to donate octopi please do not drop off at any of the above listed hospitals. Please join the group, watch the videos on how to inspect your own octopi, use only the approved materials and send your completed octopi along with hook, yarn and filling information to an ambassador for inspection and approval. The ambassadors are the contacts with the hospitals and will make sure that all approved octopi make it to a baby.
If you or a friend is in need of an octopus please send a private message to Sharon Skantz on Facebook.
Article updated 4/26/17
A Beautiful Friendship 