To commemorate World Kindness Day, these Pittsburgh hospitals dressed up their newborns as the iconic nice guy, Mister Rogers.
Babies are naturally adorable, but when you dress them up in red cardigans and a tie, their cuteness just elevates to a whole new level!
Parents enjoyed seeing their babies dressed exactly like that in this Pittsburgh hospital during the celebration of World Kindness Day. On November 13, Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital outfitted their newborns with these adorable clothes. The goal was to make them look like the beloved TV icon Mister Rogers.
“In Pittsburgh, we are also celebrating Cardigan Day, in honor of Pittsburgher Fred Rogers, who modeled kindness and compassion to children,” Stephanie Waite, a spokesperson for the Allegheny Health Network, told CNN.
Fred Rogers was known as the host of the children’s television show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” where he is often seen wearing a red cardigan and tie during filming.
“At AHN, we wanted to join in the spirit of kindness with our most adorable ambassadors, our newborn babies,” Waite added.
An entire line of babies in the nursery looked so adorable wearing identical clothing. Parents watched them through the window and took photographs of their cute little ones. After the pictures were taken, the parents got to keep the photos and their babies’ costumes, too!
Another Pittsburgh hospital – UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital – did the same thing in honor of Mister Rogers. The newborns there were provided with crocheted red cardigans and sneakers.
Sharing photos of the special occasion on Instagram, the hospital wrote: “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood today at UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital!”
Mister Rogers’ 98-year-old widow, Joanne Rogers, dropped by the hospital to say hi to the UPMC babies.
“They’re so polite,” she commented after seeing them.
These tiny outfits were the product of Caitlin Pechin’s hard work, a nurse at the hospital, who made them during her free time.
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
“I think everyone would enjoy the red Mister Rogers sweater,” she said.
One of the fathers of the babies, Michael Lewandowski, said that he remembers watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood when he was little. He said seeing her daughter dressed as him was a unique experience.
“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, growing up I watched with my grandmother,” he told WJET. “Seeing Mrs. Rogers was very special.”
Mrs. Rogers could attest to her late husband’s kindness. She recently spoke to PEOPLE about him and said:
“People were important to him,” she said. “He was to me and to the family who he is to everybody else.”
Just like Mister Rogers, we should learn to spread kindness everywhere we go so that we may influence others to do the same!