How to Celebrate a Miraculous Preemie with Mighty Miracles Foundation

Send your handmade hearts to Mighty Miracles Foundation to bring comfort and love to premature infants and their families

Amanda Dickinson’s second child, Kaleb, was born entirely too soon because of a heart defect.

She was consumed with worry and fear, and her birth experience was one hundred percent different than the one she had experienced with her firstborn.

Amanda learned quickly that life in the NICU with a premature infant is nothing like life in the maternity wing. As Amanda says on the “About Us” page of the Mighty Miracles Foundation: website :

…With the premature birth, gone was the ‘typical’ birth experience with congratulations, balloons, and flowers from family and friends. Gone were the baby things in the postpartum room. Here was this new life that had just been born, and family and friends didn’t know what to say or do.”

She found herself wishing that she could give every other family new to the NICU a hug, because she knew just how it felt. She could read their expressions and remember exactly what it was like to be a new mom in an intimidating environment. Devoid of congratulations and excitement, the NICU felt like an alternative universe.

And so the concept for a new charity was born:

The idea for Mighty Miracles continued to take shape for the 99 days I spent beside Kaleb’s isolette. The passion for it grew as I would spend the afternoons rocking him and felt like a new parent all over again as I learned what it meant to care for a NICU baby. Through it all came the idea for care packages for NICU families.”

How Mighty Miracles Supports NICU Families

Mighty Miracles’ mission is to reach out to families of preemies who are plunged into this strange new world. They offer something very special for preemie families: Mighty Miracles Care Packages.

The Mighty Miracles Care Package includes 6 components:

1) The World of the NICU. This book introduces preemie parents to the NICU so that they can better navigate it. It also offers space for documenting the preemie’s progress and organizing for life after the NICU.

2) A children’s book, for reading times to allow parents to bond with their preemie.

3) Bonding hearts. These also allow parents to bond with their preemies. The hearts are worn close to parents’ skin, so their scent is transferred. Then the heart is taken to the preemies so that they can feel their parents’ presence even in their absence.

The heart can also be taken back to the mother for aid in lactation.

4) Mighty Miracles bracelets

5) A Mighty Miracles tote bag

6) Artwork for the NICU room, to give the space a more home-y feeling. This artwork is laminated to allow for cleaning and sanitization. And it can be placed around the preemie’s isolette or anywhere else within the NICU space.

7) My NICU Family print. This offers space for anyone involved in the preemie’s time in the NICU to sign, for a special memory keepsake.

8) NICU Graduation Keepsake. This is a joyous way for preemie families to celebrate their preemies’ homecoming.

Mighty Miracles now has two additional branches as well: Mighty Me, for families of children with disabilities, and Made Mighty, its publications store.

How You Can Help the Mighty Miracles Foundation

There are many ways that you can help the Mighty Miracles mission! A full list can be found on their Get Involved page, but two big ways you can help are below:

If you knit, crochet, or sew, create bonding hearts! Sewing and crochet patterns are linked above (under Get Involved).

To knit a bonding heart, I recommend you use either this pattern – the Hugs and Kisses Heart – or one of the two versions of this pattern I created, which you can find on this page! My versions simply remove the cabling of the original pattern. The first version has more texture, while the second uses mostly simple stockinette for a smoother surface.

All bonding heart patterns are free!

Be sure to spread the word to your knitting, sewing, crocheting, and even your non-crafting friends. After all, Mighty Miracles can always use donations! It’s a registered nonprofit, so all donations are tax-deductible. You can find an Amazon wishlist at the Get Involved page, too.

And once you’re ready to ship your completed bonding hearts, you’ll find the shipping address on the Get Involved page .

I hope you’ll love this opportunity to show love and support to both premature infants and their families like I do! Why not knit (or crochet or sew) some hearts and offer some love?