Lalit K Jha
Washington, Sept 11 (5WH): In a corner of the neonatal intensive care unit at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell/Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns, a new bookshelf stands, bright with more than 350 books. It was placed there not by hospital staff but by two children.
Fifteen-year-old Kabir Singh and his 11-year-old sister, Pareesa, founded Caring Connections USA, Inc. to support families with babies in critical care.
“Our goal is to support families during their most challenging moments,” Kabir said. “We hope these reading corners will bring some joy and normalcy to the lives of siblings and help them feel connected and cared for.”
The first reading nook was donated on Aug. 27. Another will be unveiled Sept. 24 at Bellevue Hospital, timed with NICU Awareness Month. “This summer, we are making a meaningful difference for families of children in NICU by donating specially designed bookshelves and over 700 books,” the siblings wrote in a note.
Kabir explains his motivation in the stories he grew up hearing. His parents are physicians, and his grandmother is a retired neonatologist. “Listening to their stories about patients and families navigating health crises instilled in me a deep sense of empathy and a desire to make a difference,” he said.
When he shared his ideas with Pareesa, she joined in. Together, they began shaping projects that would give comfort to families who spend days and nights inside NICU wards.
Since founding Caring Connections in 2023, Kabir and Pareesa have tried to think of what would make life a little easier for parents, siblings, and even staff. They have organized book drives, blanket and onesie donations, greeting card projects, and snack distributions.
In the winter of 2025, they ran a “community NICU graduation hat-making drive where their team of dedicated volunteers created over 200 hats for NICU graduates.” On Mother’s Day 2025, they “hand-delivered cards of support for NICU mothers at Cornell and Bellevue.”
Most recently, they “completed a card drive, where the dedicated volunteers have made over 500 ‘Thank You Cards’ for the NICU doctors, nurses, and support staff for their amazing work.”
The impact has not gone unnoticed. “Thank you so much for providing the graduation caps. The families have been receiving them upon discharge from the NICU and have absolutely loved them,” wrote Samantha Lentin, Child Life Specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian’s Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns.
“It has brought such a special, joyful touch to their celebration. Your thoughtfulness has truly made a meaningful impact, that these families will cherish forever.”
For Kabir and Pareesa, these projects are just the beginning. “We just wanted them to feel cared for,” Kabir said. Pareesa added her touch in making the reading corners welcoming for children: “It should feel like kids belong there.”
The reading spaces may be small, but they send a message that siblings matter, too. In the midst of machines and monitors, the rustle of pages is their way of bringing a little normalcy—and a lot of heart—into the NICU.
This story is originally from 5WH.
(5WH/VK)