Hospitalized Babies Win NICU Halloween Costume Contest, as Moms Praise 'Memorable' Holiday Experience (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Jaylin Correa, above, and Sevan Davis, below, who took home first and second prize respectively in Advocate Children’s Hospital’s 2024 NICU Halloween Costume Bash contest.Photo:Courtesy of Advocate Children’s Hospital

Courtesy of Advocate Children’s Hospital

A Chicago hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit just hosted their Halloween costume contest, and the winners are in — and they’re unbelievably cute!

“I feel like the hard work paid off, and it’s something memorable,” Jaylin’s mother, Julianna Correa, tells PEOPLE.

Fellow mom Senonca Davis adds, “Doing this, it helped take my mind off of everything that Sevan was going through.”

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Advocate’s NICU hosts the contest every year, allowing members of the public vote for their favorite costume on the hospital’s Facebook page.

Jaylin Correa, whose firefighter costume earned first prize in Advocate Children’s Hospital’s annual NICU Halloween Costume Bash contest.Courtesy of Advocate Children’s Hospital

Julianna, 20, tells PEOPLE that her grandmother crocheted little Jaylin’s costume after the family saw a similar costume on Amazon, but weren’t sure if it would arrive in time.

“It was a big distraction from him being in the NICU and everything that was going on,” the new mom says. “So [the support] is just appreciated overall.”

Meanwhile, Senoca fused her love for taking photos of her son with her passion for Harry Potter, using a golden snitch from a box of socks she bought, a homemade broomstick, a cloak and pointy hat to get her son in character.

Sevan Davis, whose Harry Potter-themed costume earned second prize in Advocate Children’s Hospital’s annual NICU Halloween Costume Bash contest.Courtesy of Advocate Children’s Hospital

The contest has also helped Senoca connect with fellow premier parents through social media, and the new mom says that those stories have given her “something to look forward” to: seeing Sevangraduate from the NICU.

“I appreciate everyone,” Senoca tells PEOPLE. “Everyone was so nice and kind, and I appreciate that because at a time, what you really need is positivity.”

source: people.com