STEVENS POINT, WI – Thanks to a Stevens Point boy and his family, the tiniest patients at Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital go home with a book of their own.
Elliott Victory is the inspiration for Elliot’s Little Library. Recently, he and his mom, Katie, visited Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital to deliver dozens of books for the babies cared for in the hospital’s Special Care Nursery.
Born in September 2016, Elliot was 15 weeks early and weighed just 1 lb., 12 oz. He spent 96 days in an area NICU, where his family read to him every night, a routine they’ve continued ever since.
“When Elliot was born, we weren’t able to hold him for nearly two weeks,” said Katie. “His eyes were still fused shut, and he was living and growing in an isolette. We read to him nearly every single day as a way to bond with him and to ensure that he heard our voices. The nurses told us how reading to babies also helps stimulate their brain development.”
Now a thriving first grader, Elliot and his family enjoy delivering new books every year to the Special Care Nursery at Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital, as well as the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) at Aspirus Wausau Hospital, Marshfield Children’s Hospital, and Ascension St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton.
To learn more about Elliot’s Little Library and how you can donate new books or make a monetary gift, visit elliotslittlelibrary.org.
Photo: Elliot and Katie Victory of Elliot’s Little Library recently delivered dozens of children’s books to Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital. Accepting the books on behalf of the hospital’s Special Care Unit is Lora Harris, BSN, RN, IBCLC.