Books for babies

As soon as a baby is born, knowledge and information is absorbed immediately, which is exactly why two Seaford Girl Scouts decided that a bookshelf would be the perfect contribution to a neonatal intensive care unit.

“Since many babies are born so prematurely, some parents are not able to have the typical bonding moments at birth with their child such as holding, diapering, or feeding,” said child life specialist Chrissy Thorne. “As a certified child life specialist, working on daily basis with the families in the NICU, I always encourage the parents to read to their child. One of the few bonding opportunities that parents might have for an extended period of time is to read or sing with their child while they are continuing to grow.” 

Kayla Nietsch and Danielle Fisher, two 13-year-old juniors from the Seaford-Wantagh Girl Scout Association, donated a handcrafted bookshelf to North Shore-LIJ Hospital in Manhasset on May 12 as a part of their Silver Award project.

“The books will be a resource for the parents to use to read to their child,” Thorne added. “The bookshelf helped expand our existing lending library for the parents and during this stressful time, the parents will now be able to have a better selection of books to read to their babies.”   

The bookshelf is located in the family room of the hospital’s NICU, where it is accessible to everyone. Thorne said that the family room is a common space that is shared by all the families that have a baby there.

“The bookshelf is welcoming and bright for all to see,” Thorne said. “Since the bookshelf was donated, numerous families and staff members have commented on what a great resource tit is and will be going forward.”  

As a part of the Silver Award project mission, the girls had to find a need in the community and fill it with a sustainable solution. They decided to commit to this project because they wanted to help children in the hospital.