St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson will host its fourth annual read-a-thon from Sept. 8-18, joining more than 250 hospitals worldwide to support premature babies and their families.
The “Babies with Books NICU Read-A-Thon” is based on studies showing that reading to infants promotes early brain development while strengthening family bonds. Over the 10-day event, families, staff, and participants will log reading sessions, with prizes awarded to the volunteers with the most reading sessions at the closing celebration.
Last year, St. Dominic’s neonatal intensive care unit placed 8th out of 244 hospitals worldwide, recording 830 reading sessions — an average of 100 per baby. Hospital staff, leaders, and families participated in the effort.
Each NICU family at St. Dominic’s also receives a book from Lela’s Library, a nonprofit founded in 2021 in memory of NICU patient Lela Jo Grey. Her parents, Garrett and Alexis Grey, began donating books to ensure every baby admitted to the unit receives one before they are discharged.
