Hospital Photography: Boston NICU Staff Use Costumes to Ease Trauma
Photographer Jeffrey Andree and nurse Mariah Arlin explain how holiday shoots help families process their time in intensive care.
By Hugo Khalil ·
Costumed infants in neonatal intensive care units have become a familiar sight in Boston.
Staff at Massachusetts General Hospital organize holiday photo shoots to offer families a moment of celebration.
Registered nurse Mariah Arlin, who wore a shirt reading “NICU boo crew,” explained the psychological toll on parents.
“I think that there is a lot of, like, PTSD that parents actually experience from being here,” Arlin said. “It's a hard place to be, but [we're] trying to make those positive memories and trying to give them some some happiness while they're here.”
For Jeffrey Andree, the hospital photographer, the tradition carries personal weight.
Andree has led these shoots for years, but his own daughter spent nearly a month in the same unit over a year ago.
He noted that seeing a child in such a unit is difficult, but the resulting joy boosts morale across the team.
“Seeing your child in one of these units is not fun, and having just a little bit of joy … the smiles on the parents' faces and the kids, the staff loves it and it's just a complete morale booster,” Andree said.
His daughter is now 19 months old and doing great.
The hospital shares these images during Halloween and other holidays, providing a tangible milestone for parents navigating a challenging medical journey.
Source: WBTS-CD
