Haley’s story began with a Christmas Day labor and a son delivered two days later, premature at 24 weeks, who was treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital in Detroit. In the NICU room’s quiet, Haley said a comforting item was missing for her newborn, and she soon learned that dozens of crocheted, donated octopi were being used for exactly that purpose.
The octopi, known as Amigurumi—an art form from Japan that involves crafting small plush animals from yarn—are placed in bassinets for preemies. The hospital’s unit uses the plush animals to keep small hands from grabbing and tugging at tubes and wires that clinicians rely on to help babies stay alive, according to the reporting.
Haley began making the octopi after overhearing a nurse say that some would be helpful for the NICU. She said she has crocheted since second grade, and she started filling that need herself, continuing even as her own family adjusted to life with a premature infant in intensive care.
Dr. Jorge Lua, the medical director at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan NICU unit, said the babies receiving breathing support require the breathing tube to remain in place. He said some babies will grab onto the tubes and accidentally pull them out, and that if a breathing tube comes out it can cause breathing issues and reduce oxygenation, potentially lengthening the time needed to stabilize them.
Haley said she has made about 20 octopi so far and that—by her last count—175 had been donated to the unit, with more coming from across Michigan. She said she reached out beyond her immediate circle, including through social media, to gather additional support and bring the yarn creatures to the hospital where they are placed in the bassinets with newborns.
Haley also described how the octopi fit emotionally into her own experience. She said it was hard to leave her son in the NICU while knowing he was in good hands, and she described fear that he might be upset without something nearby to comfort him in the moment. She said knowing the octopus would be near helped her feel better while she also cared for herself.
Haley said she often saw her infant son tug at tubes connecting him to NICU equipment. She said she hoped the yarn octopi would bring the same comfort to other families and helps her feel “comforted” that she could help other children.
Finally, Haley said the practical side of the effort is deliberate: she estimated it takes her about 30 minutes to make one octopus. She said her mother taught her to crochet as a way to help with anxiety, and she described how the repetitive motion gives her something to focus on and helps her feel calmer.