Akron Children’s Hospital found a unique way to celebrate pop star Taylor Swift’s upcoming album release: by dressing up newborns in its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

On September 26, four babies at the Akron Children’s Hospital, including a set of twins, were styled in tiny showgirl outfits, custom friendship bracelets, and Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs jerseys to mark both the album launch and their milestones in the NICU. Parents were invited to join the lighthearted photo shoot.

NICU Nurses bring the idea to life

NICU nurse Ann Rochat said the event was born out of the staff’s own fandom. “We have a lot of team members who are Swifties,” she explained. “With Taylor’s album release coming up, we thought it would be fun to see if parents wanted to dress their babies up.”

The costumes were created by family care coordinator Marybeth Fry, while nurse manager Sofyia Lizhnyak made the bracelets. Swift fans often trade friendship bracelets at her concerts, inspired by lyrics from the 2022 song You’re On Your Own, Kid.

Rochat also baked chai sugar cookies using Swift’s recipe to mark the day, per the Akron Beacon Journal.

A positive distraction for families

Rochat also said the goal went beyond celebrating the album. “I think it’s really hard to be in the NICU,” she said. “There are good days and bad days. This was a nice distraction, something positive for families to take away.”

She added that she hoped the photos would give parents a happy memory of their time in the hospital.

Swift fandom connection

Rochat, a nurse at Akron Children’s for 13 years, is also a longtime Swift fan. She recently attended the Eras Tour in Cincinnati with her daughter. “The show was amazing,” she said. “I’ve been to almost all her concerts, but this one was unbelievable.” The nurses added that several parents of the children were also Swifties.

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Fellow nurse Sadie Oswitch, who has attended 3 of Taylor’s tours, also wore her Taylor merch for the photo shoot. She counts Karma as her favorite song, the hospital said in its statement. Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, is set for release on October 3, 2025.

FAQs

What did Akron Children’s Hospital do to celebrate Taylor Swift’s new album?

The hospital dressed NICU babies in costumes, friendship bracelets, and themed outfits on Sept. 26 to mark Swift’s upcoming album release.

Who made the costumes and bracelets for the NICU babies?

Family care coordinator Marybeth Fry made the costumes, while nurse manager Sofyia Lizhnyak created the friendship bracelets.

Why did the nurses organize the Taylor Swift-themed celebration?

NICU nurse Ann Rochat said many staff members are Swift fans and wanted to give families a positive distraction during a stressful time.