Atlantic Beach teen creates 'Bundles of Love'

For Atlantic Beach resident Emily DiCeglio, she has used her time inside during the coronavirus pandemic to help bring comfort to children who are in the hospital.

DiCeglio, a 17-year-old senior student at Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale started the Bundles of Love initiative in mid-March. She has made and delivered more than 400 blankets. She has delivered them to hospitals in New York City and on Long Island.

“Since I was a child, my baby blanket brought me comfort, and to this day, it still holds true,” DiCeglio said. “During these challenging times of a pandemic, my heart went out to all the hospitalized children feeling scared, lonely and isolated.”

Children in Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan and the Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park have received her homemade blankets. “The supportive and kind feedback I’ve received, from both the pediatric patients and medical professional staff has been so heartwarming,” she added.

AnnMarie DiFrancesca is the director of the Child Life Program at Mount Sinai South Nassau. She noted her appreciation for DiCeglio’s efforts in delivering blankets to the hospital.

DiCeglio’s mother, Michele DiCeglio, said that her daughter thought of the idea right after the pandemic began. “She's 17 but still has this baby blanket that gives her comfort,” Michele, who works in the Lawrence School District said. “A week into being home, we just had a conversation about how family members couldn’t see their loved ones in the hospital. From that, she wanted to do something to help comfort those patients.”

Michele noted how happy she was to hear that her daughter wanted to do this. “My initial reaction to hearing her tell me this was that I was so proud of her,” she said. “She researched fabrics and from there, she got to work.” Michele added that more than $7,000 has been donated to Bundles of Love since the initiative began.

Even as DiCeglio is preparing to study to become a nurse practitioner next fall, Bundles of Love is something she wants to work on throughout her life.

“The words of encouragement fill my heart with so much joy knowing that I am making a difference in a child's life,” she said. “My hope is that Bundles of Love will continue to bring sick children emotional support by providing them with comfort and love.”

For the remainder of the year, DiCeglio has a goal of receiving $2,020 in donations so that she can deliver 200 more blankets. Donations can be made on PayPal at: https://bit.ly/31Y8Y7X.