When Crystal Attebery lost her three-month-old daughter, she decided to do something special for other babies at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

She crochets blankets for them.

Attebery said when her daughter was in the NICU, the quilts and hats people made for her meant a lot.

"It's the little things like that, that make a big difference," Attebery said.

Lori Colwell, staff nurse at Sacred Heart's NICU, said some nurses and other volunteer groups make quilts and hats for the babies.

Attebery's sister-in-law, Rose Attebery, crocheted a blanket that was later buried with Crystal's daughter.

Crystal said it takes two to four days to make an incubator-sized blanket.

The blankets are laid over the top or underneath the incubators, as the babies cannot be wrapped in them while in intensive care.

"I try to make them as unique as I can," she said.

Crystal and Rose have made nearly 20 blankets to donate to the babies at Sacred Heart.

"It's my way of holding onto her," Crystal said.

Colwell said usually 20 to 25 babies are in the NICU at a time, with a maximum capacity of 36 babies.

An infant's stay in the NICU can last a couple of weeks or a couple of months.

"We love blankets for our babies," Colwell said. "It's nice on both ends - nice for the person who makes the blankets, and nice for the babies."

Crystal said she needs donations of yarn to continue her project. She will accept donations of blankets.

To donate, call Crystal at 401-9316.