DAYTON, Ohio — The smallest patients at Dayton Children’s Hospital got their first Halloween under the big top. The hospital turned its neonatal intensive care units into a traveling circus for Halloween, dressing infants as lions, ringmasters, popcorn and cotton candy, according to People magazine’s report on the celebration.
The circus theme played out at both of Dayton Children’s NICU locations — its main campus and its unit at Kettering Health — with handmade costumes and decorated units, People reported. One baby wore a lion costume, another dressed as the ringmaster, and others wore food-themed outfits including popcorn and cotton candy.
The NICU circus was one part of a hospital-wide Halloween theme this year called “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” — “From dream vacations to imaginary destinations, hospital units are transforming into exciting places, giving patients and families a chance to escape the everyday challenges of being in the hospital,” Dayton Children’s Hospital told People.
For NICU families, the hospital said, the holiday carries particular weight. “For families with babies in the NICU, days can be filled with uncertainty, worry and milestones that look different than they imagined. Halloween offers an opportunity to create special memories and experience a little bit of the normalcy they might be missing while their child is in the hospital,” the hospital told People.
“Staff go above and beyond to make holidays feel special for patients and families, even during some of their most difficult moments. From handmade costumes to elaborately decorated units, the celebrations are a reminder that childhood doesn’t stop at the hospital doors,” Dayton Children’s added in its comments to People.
Dayton Children’s serves more than 400,000 children a year across 20 counties in Ohio and eastern Indiana, according to People, with more than 15 care sites including Troy, Beavercreek and Kettering. For the families spending this Halloween in its NICUs, the circus brought the holiday to them — costumes, decorations and a first set of Halloween photos included.
Photo: Jason Zhang, CC BY-SA 3.0