Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital NICU Hosts 7th Annual Read-A-Thon

MIAMI, FL – The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital recently held its seventh annual Read-A-Thon. The event aims to encourage early reading and brain development among the hospital's youngest patients. This year’s theme was “Wild About Reading,” transforming the NICU at Memorial Hospital Miramar with jungle decorations.

Infants and parents participated, with babies dressed in jungle-themed outfits. Katherine Zaensi, a parent, said dressing her child in zebra stripes brought joy during a challenging time. “Just having a baby in the NICU is hard, but when you come in here and see her dressed up like that, you know, it brings light,” Zaensi said.

Nurse practitioner Elaine Green emphasized the event’s benefits. “We get the parents and families and staff involved in reading to our babies, which we know is very important for parent bonding, language development, and taking a little bit of the stress off the NICU experience for parents,” Green explained.

Husan Mohammed, another parent, noted the hospital's support. “They have little library books out there and they’re constantly telling us to read to him. We brought his siblings and they’re reading to him as well,” Mohammed said.

The initiative has expanded significantly, with participating NICUs growing from 39 in 2020 to 249 last year. Memorial Hospital Miramar ranks 23rd in the competition. September is National Literacy Month, a time that highlights the importance of reading and writing.

Parent Chris Ruwe underscored the developmental advantages. “The information they’re explaining to us of reading and how good it is for the kids, the development of the babies is big,” Ruwe stated.

Vanissa Usallan found the event brought back childhood memories. “It brings in your inner childhood as well. Like, kind of nostalgic in a way, hearing these stories that I used to hear when I was little, and then being able to experience it reading to my own daughter, it’s very special,” Usallan said.