Preemies get into the Olympic spirit at NICUs across the country

The 2024 Paris Olympics are over, the Paralympics are about to begin, and over the past several weeks, Olympic fever has swept the globe. In the United States, this is true even in NICUs across the country, where staff have celebrated with their tiny patients.

At Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, the babies showed their stuff, posing in adorable outfits with props representing sports like swimming, running, track and field, and more.

Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois, celebrated the “bravery, strength, and perseverance” of their preemies, awarding medals in categories like napping and just plain being adorable.

“Nathan is our champ!” the mom of one of the babies told Good Morning America. “Over the past eight months in the NICU, he’s gone from lightweight to heavyweight. We were so excited to put him in his Olympic gear and show off his strength and resilience. We are beyond proud of all the victories he has already had.”

Saint Francis Hospital Memphis in Tennessee also got into the Olympic spirit. “The Olympics are a momentous and celebratory event, and since they happen only every four years, we thought it would be a special and fun treat to dress the babies up in an Olympic theme,” Kerry Thompson, a NICU nurse at Saint Francis who helped choose the costumes and took the photographs, told WMC/Gray News. “Our staff tries to think outside the box and dress the babies up for non-traditional holidays and events such as Elvis Week and Mardi Gras while still sticking to the traditional holidays like Christmas and Halloween. We want to create joy and memories for our NICU families.”

Don’t let the size of the preemies at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, fool you; they’re ready to take on the uneven bars, weightlifting, basketball, and more with these adorable pictures.

UMC Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, said that “greatness starts small” with their tiny champions, who posed in Olympic-themed outfits and American flags. Some of the parents told KCBD that it was very much appreciated.

“It’s pretty cool, my little gold medalist. It was exciting to have the photoshoot done. They had their little gold medals and their flags,” said Braylee Lewis, one of the moms.

Rianna Lopez, mother of identical twins Averianna and Vivianna, added, “Oh my gosh, it was amazing!”

Christina Sumner, mother of Annabeth, said, “It’s been a long journey, for sure, but positive stuff, they’re really amazing.”

In Independence, Missouri, Centerpoint Medical Center got into the spirit with their preemies, too, where each baby was going for gold.

Medical City Arlington honored their little warriors by turning the NICU into a tiny Olympic village.

Having a premature baby can be unspeakably difficult — but bringing joy and positivity to families like this can help make families’ journey a little bit easier to navigate.