Metro Detroit Mom of Preemie Crochets, Collects Dozens of Octopi for NICU

Joelle Haley, a 30-year-old Metro Detroit mother whose son Kieran was born extremely premature at 24 weeks after going into labor on Christmas Day and being delivered two days later, has organized a growing donation drive of small crocheted amigurumi octopi for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan at DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital in Detroit. Haley said she has made about 20 of the octopi herself and that “the last time I counted there had been 175 that had been donated, and there are more on the way.”

Medical staff and pattern creators say the soft, tentacled amigurumi - amigurumi, from the Japanese art of crafting small plush animals from yarn - can comfort preterm infants and reduce the risk of accidental removal of life-supporting tubes. Dr. Jorge Lua, medical director at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan NICU, cautioned about the clinical consequences when tubes are dislodged: “It’s important that we keep the tube in. Some babies will grab onto them and accidentally pull them out. Let’s say the breathing tubes comes out, then the baby will have breathing issues. They’re not able to breath. Their oxygenation goes down. It may make the time longer to stabilize them.”

Pattern pages and craft blogs that promote preemie octopi say the tentacles mimic the feel of the umbilical cord and soothe tiny hands. The Emil pattern page states, “The purpose of the crocheted octopuses is to promote comfort and development for the pre-term babies while in the hospital. The tentacles of the soft octos mimic the feel of the umbilical cord in their tiny hands and have been found to soothe the babies and help prevent them from pulling on wires and tubes.” Knittingwithchopsticks, a craft blog that shares free and paid versions of the pattern, wrote that donating octopi can make a measurable difference: “The best part, you can actually make a difference to a tiny baby’s health by donating these. To me, that’s just magical.”

Haley said she began crocheting the octopi after overhearing a nurse mention they would be helpful in the NICU. She has crocheted since second grade, she told reporters, and used social media to recruit other crocheters across Michigan; she said donations “came from all over Michigan.” Hospital staff placed the donated octopi in bassinets with newborns as Haley delivered some of the toys to the unit.

Photographs dated Feb. 26, 2026 show Haley holding the amigurumi octopi at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan NICU; photo credit is Corey Williams and AP video credit is Mike Householder. Haley emphasized the emotional relief the small toys provided, saying, “It was very hard to leave my son here, knowing he was in good hands even, because I was afraid ‘what if he’s upset and he has nothing or no one to comfort him in that moment?’” and that “Just knowing he has something near him that brings him comfort helps me feel better so that I can also take care of me.”

The drive remains active, with Haley’s network and statewide contributors sending more octopi to the DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital NICU as she continues to deliver batches to the unit.