Dr. Erik Bostrom of Aitkin, who works in Riverwood Healthcare Center in Minnesota does not have the power to time travel, but the doctor is making noise online for his remarkable skills- stitching! And no, we are not talking about surgical sutures but actual fabric stitching!
The kindhearted doctor from the rural hospital is making an exceptional gesture that no doctor has done before and that is giving each of the babies he has delivered a blanket he personally sews!
The thoughtful doctor is not an obstetrician, however since family doctors serving in Riverwood Healthcare Center are expected to deliver babies, Dr. Bostrom embraced his new task. Since then, Dr. Bostrom found himself enjoying delivering babies the most among the rest of his medical duties.
This is because for him, delivering babies equated with joy and happiness- keeping his heart warm and full of love.
“Much of my time is spent taking care of old and sick people,” Dr. Bostrom explained. “[But in delivering babies] rather than sadness and hardship, people are full of joy and excitement. It’s a really cool part of medicine.”
Wanting to do something special for his newfound source of happiness, Dr. Bostrom began sewing personalized blankets for every baby he has delivered. At first, the doctor admitted that he had no clue what is the perfect gift to give.
Fortunately, one of his colleagues suggested sewing baby blankets. An idea that Dr. Bostrom was a bit hesitant at first given the fact that he had no prior experience with needles and fabrics.
“I’ve sewn a lot of people, a lot of skin,” Dr. Bostrom clarified. “But I never sewed fabric.”
But he is not one to back down from challenges, Dr. Bostrom decided to give sewing a try. He watched sewing video tutorials and also asked tips from his mother and sister-in-law, who make decorative pillows for a living.
“They taught me how to use a sewing machine. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be,” Dr. Bostrom shared his initial thoughts.
To develop his sewing skills, the sweet and thoughtful doctor started sewing blankets, putting soft and cuddly fabric on one side and the flannel on the other. Afterward, the doctor sent them to be personalized with embroidered information about the baby.
This information includes their name, date of birth, length, and weight- a thoughtful gift that is really unique and sentimental!
This went on for a year until his embroiderer moved out of Minnesota. To continue his self-imposed tradition of giving gifts to the babies he delivered, Dr. Bostrom found a sewing machine that can be used for stitching and embroidering. The doctor taught himself to master it and the rest was history!
“The best part of it in my mind is that it was made by Husqvarna, and that’s the same brand as my chain saw,” Dr. Bostrom shared in an interview. “And I thought it was cool that I could cut down trees and sew baby blankets with the same brand of equipment.”
So far, Dr. Bostrom has already delivered more than 200 babies in Riverwood Healthcare Center where he works. However since the majority of them were during his medical school residency, the number of blankets he produced is fewer.
In total, he has given out 15 blankets, but he knows that the number will continue to grow in a matter of time.
But do not underestimate the doctor’s heartwarming effort. Being a family doctor sure eats a lot of his time, but he sees to it to spend at least 3 to 5 hours of his precious time to create the personalized blankets.
Looking back, Dr. Bostrom admits that he has never pegged himself as someone who would sew gifts for people. But it seems that delivering babies stirred something in his heart.
“Three years ago, if you had told me I would be creating gifts for people by sewing, I would have laughed at you,” Dr. Bostrom shared. “But making something for someone makes it that much cooler. I never thought sewing could be so much fun.”
With Dr. Bostrom playing a big role in the life of the babies he delivered, who could blame the thoughtful doctor for becoming sentimental?
WATCH AND SHARE the video below to learn more about Dr. Bostrom- a doctor whose personally sewn blankets warm not only the newborn babies, but the hearts of thousands of people across the world!
Photos and Video | CBS NEWS