Caroline’s Closet Donates 5,000 Baby Outfits to NICUs Across Massachusetts
Thanks to the dedication of one Boston-area mother, thousands of premature babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in hospitals across Massachusetts will receive onesies and gowns.
Meghan Block, the CEO of Boston Moms, is the founder of Caroline’s Closet, an Amazon wishlist containing preemie-sized onesies and gowns. Every year, Block seeks donations from among her friends, family, and the greater community. Caroline’s Closet recently celebrated a milestone, with 5,000 new outfits delivered to Boston-area NICUs.
Before Caroline’s Closet existed, individuals like Mount Auburn Hospital NICU nurse Caroline Merta would have to purchase an outfit with money out of her own pocket.
“It’s a very caring relationship. We like to go above and beyond for the families. This is just a huge help to facilitate that,” Merta told WBZ-TV in an interview.
Caroline’s Closet is expanding in 2025 to reach families served at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Medical Center, South Shore Hospital, and Mount Auburn Hospital.
For Block, giving back to help families this way hits home. In 2019, her daughter Caroline was born prematurely, weighing only 3 pounds at birth 34 weeks into Block’s pregnancy. Block and her husband were unprepared for Caroline’s early arrival and lacked the proper outfit to fit their tiny newborn.
One NICU nurse who cared for Caroline came to the Blocks’ aid, buying one for their daughter with her own money.
“Seeing her [Caroline] in clothes really humanized her in some ways for me. It was really, really healing,” Block said in an interview with WBZ. “I say every year, this is really healing for me. To be able to bless other families in this way is just so huge for me.” To support Caroline’s Closet, browse the organization’s Amazon wishlist.
