Little Hats, Big Hearts effort goes beyond caps for newborns

Program aims to empower families to live heart-healthy lives

(Northwestern Medicine)

Little hats, big hearts, cute babies: Volunteers from across the United States are helping to celebrate American Heart Month by knitting and crocheting red hats for babies born in February.

The volunteers are joining the American Heart Association in connection with the Children’s Heart Foundation to knit the homemade caps for infants at participating hospitals.

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The effort, called Little Hats, Big Hearts, started in February 2014 in Chicago, and collected 300 hats in its first year.

Since then, the cause has since expanded to more than 40 states.

The program aims to empower moms to live heart-healthy lives and to help their children do the same.

The organizations involved want to raise awareness, provide resources and inspire new moms to take their family’s heart health to heart while also raising awareness about congenital heart defects, according to a news release from the American Heart Association.

Anyone who knits or crochets and would like to participate in Little Hats, Big Hearts is encouraged to visit this website for information on deadlines and where to send your hats.

The program also accepts yarn donations.

If you work for a hospital that would like to participate in this project, please contact your local American Heart Association office to learn more.