'It means the world to me’: Drive-Thru Baby Shower delivers for local mothers

Patty Siuda and her granddaughter waited three and a half hours in their minivan to get desperately needed supplies for a baby girl set to arrive any day. Braving the hot weather on Saturday, September 14, the women were first in line for the Healthy Baby Network’s fifth annual Drive-Thru Baby Shower in south suburban Harvey.

Siuda's granddaughter and hundreds of other attendees each received a backpack diaper bag filled with essentials to get their babies off to a great start. Siuda also received a special crate filled with baby clothes and other items for being first in line donated by an employee at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital, which hosted the event.

“It means the world to me,” said Siuda. “It’s a godsend.”

The day was filled with smiles, shouts of congratulations and tears of joy for those awaiting one of 300 diaper bags packed by volunteers.

The shower, which started in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, is also designed for moms-to-be to foster a positive connection with healthcare providers.

“Being able to offer patients top-of-the-line supplies for their baby speaks volumes about what we can do, and it’s a reflection of the care we provide here at our hospital,” said Shanice Williams, OB Program Manager at Ingalls Memorial.

‘A little help’

To stock the diaper bags and other giveaways, Williams partnered with Family Christian Health Center, Restoration Ministries, CeraVe, Huggies and Gifts from Liam — both of which provided diapers — as well as Johnson & Johnson and Project LAUNCH (for onesies, socks and bibs) and CEDA, which provided age-appropriate books.

In addition, several big-ticket items were given to a few lucky attendees. One mom, BrieAnna Williams, received a stroller. “It’s so appreciated. I never expected that,” she said.

Imani Julian held back tears as volunteers loaded a car seat into her SUV. But Brittany Fort, who is 17 weeks pregnant with her first baby, cried after receiving a baby walker plus a crate full of outfits and supplies. She hopped out of her car to hug the volunteers.

“Babies are expensive, and the first time around you're so overwhelmed with everything that you have to get and you have to do,” Fort said. “Just to have something like this where you could just get a little help is amazing.”

Williams is also the coordinator for the Healthy Baby Network, a free program at Ingalls Memorial that connects residents with medical, nutritional and financial assistance. Part of Ingalls’ Family Birth Center, the program bridges the gap between local residents and healthcare resources through partnerships with local retailers, government agencies and other organizations.

“It is such an amazing feeling that we have a thumbprint on our community, where they know they can come to Ingalls and we’ll be able to provide them needed resources,” Williams said. “I think that’s so big for us to be able to provide critical items at a time of need. We’re literally helping a family start life.”

Quality maternity care in the Southland

Ingalls Memorial offers 23 private birthing suites and healthcare staff dedicated to making a woman’s birthing experience comfortable and special. “We have quality care and all of the resources so patients don't have to travel so far. Everything that they need for their family is at Ingalls,” Williams said.

The Drive-Thru Baby Shower launched as a response to increased community need — and as a socially-distanced pivot from Babypalooza, which began in 2014 at Ingalls to connect south suburban residents with prenatal education and maternity resources.

The event has grown into a key part of Ingalls Memorial’s efforts to improve maternal and child health in Harvey and other communities where many Black women still face healthcare barriers and suffer disproportionately high rates of pregnancy-related complications and deaths.

Across Cook County, more than 14% of Black babies suffer from low birth weights, compared to over 8% of babies in the general population. According to the Ingalls Memorial Community Health Needs Assessment, mothers in the hospital’s service area — which focuses on the 13 ZIP codes of Thornton Township — reported being unaware of social services such as free nutrition programs.

The Healthy Baby Network is making a significant difference. In fiscal year 2023, 93% of Healthy Baby Network babies were of normal weight and 96% were full-term deliveries, according to the Fiscal 2023 Annual Community Benefit Report.