Special Care Nursery in Cherokee Partners with Project Sweet Peas

The Special Care Nursery at Northside Hospital Cherokee has partnered with Project Sweet Peas to provide "milestone pins" to premature babies and their families to commemorate special moments throughout their journeys. Project Sweet Peas is a 501(c)3 national non-profit organization providing support to families of premature or sick infants and to those who have been affected by pregnancy and infant loss. This initiative was made possible through generous donations to the Miracle Babies fund at Northside Hospital Foundation and through special events like the annual Easter Eggstravaganza in Cherokee County and Miracle Babies Reunion and Party at Zoo Atlanta.

Sandra Blet, looking over baby Isabella, with her new "Milestone Pins" in the Special Care Nursery.

Isabella was born on October 30, 2023 and has been in the Special Care Nursery at Northside Hospital Cherokee for just over 6 weeks. She has collected a handful of milestone pins through her journey so far, like the "First Bath", "First Bottle", and "First Cuddles with Mom" pins. Isabella's mom, Sandra Blet, received the pins and accompanying ribbon from the Special Care Nursery staff.

"This really means a lot to me because all of the little things are celebrated.", says Blet. "Yesterday, I was able to put on her first real outfit without her crying which was big for us. I told everybody about that." And of course, that means baby Isabella was able to add a "First Outfit" pin to her ribbon as well. "No matter how small these moments are, they should be celebrated."

Sarah Stevens is the Clinical Manager at the Special Care Nursery. "Project Sweet Peas does a lot for NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) awareness and bringing opportunities to be able support families who are in the NICU setting.", says Stevens. "We are so grateful to be able to offer the Project Sweet Peas milestone pins to our families. The pins are a way for families to see the progress their little one has made during their Special Care Nursery stay and a way to remember their many accomplishments! We believe the pins will be an uplifting part of the Special Care Nursery family experience."

Tess and baby Ella receiving their new milestone pins.

Also receiving their special pins this day was 1-month old baby Ella and her mom, Tess. Ella received milestone pins like the "First Book" and "No More IV" pins and looks forward to being able to add many more in the coming weeks at the Special Care Nursery.

For more information about Project Sweet Peas, you can visit their website at https://www.projectsweetpeas.com/.

The Miracle Babies Fund, through the Northside Foundation, provides transportation assistance and support to almost 400 families annually. To learn more about the Miracle Babies fund at Northside Hospital Foundation and how you can help support these families, visit https://give.northside.com/about-us/miraclebabies/.