Miss Mississippi State University Donates Blankets to NICU

TUPELO, Mississippi—Anna-Katherine Thompson, Miss Mississippi State University 2023, recently donated a box of “Blanket Blessings” to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at North Mississippi Medical Center Women’s Hospital in Tupelo. Anna-Katherine explained to Women’s Hospital team members that Project Blanket Blessings is part of her initiative, P3: Pledging Purple for Preemies. Her work with the March of Dimes is inspired by her personal experience—being born five weeks early with a grade 3 cerebral bleed and spending 18 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Each individually-wrapped blanket bears a note of encouragement from Anna-Katherine: “May this blanket bring you hope and encouragement during your premature birth journey.”

She presented the blankets to NICU Nurse Manager Jessica Fears, NICU Social Worker Christy Whitley, Director of Nursing Jennifer Caldwell, and other supervisors and team members.

The NICU at NMMC Women's Hospital is a Level 3 facility designed for 34 newborns with the flexibility to accommodate 50. Neonatologists care for sick newborns, who are born prematurely, are having difficulty or suffer from congenital malformations or infectious diseases.