PHOENIX — A diaper drive is underway at Hushabye Nursery in Phoenix.
This unique recovery center specializes in helping newborns addicted to opioids find healing from the painful process of drug withdrawal.
Hushabye Nursery's Executive Director, Tara Sundem, says the facility uses about a box of diapers daily.
"We go through 144 probably," said Sundem while speaking with ABC15's Kaley O'Kelley.
She tells us the goal of the diaper drive is to collect 100 boxes in the next month.
"It’s part of an effort to help families in recovery get the much-needed resources they need," Sundem explained.
Sundem was working as a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) when she spotted a desperate need to get quiet and specialized care for drug-exposed babies.
From support groups to inpatient nursery services and outpatient therapies too, Hushabye Nursery offers therapeutic support to opioid-addicted parents in recovery and their babies. Since Hushabye Nursery opened four years ago, 800 babies have been able to get help here.
"Families continue to work with us after they have their baby, and so as they're doing everything to get well to succeed in recovery, they can come to our diaper closet and get more diapers," said Sundem.
She also says a lot more babies are coming to their center right now.
Since O'Kelley stopped by Hushabye Nursery a year ago, the number of pregnant women requesting help has more than doubled!
"Last year at this time, we were working with about 65 pregnant women and now 164 pregnant women are getting help here," Sundem added.
Diapers can be dropped off directly at Hushabye Nursery located at 3003 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ, 85008.
To have a box of diapers sent directly to the facility, here's a link to their Amazon Wishlist.
You can also follow Hushabye Nursery's Instagram page here.
