Students write to save lives

By Brittany Dekorte
Deputy Editor

A group of nursing students at WCC took the time to write a children’s book to try and help new parents remember safe sleeping habits.

The book, titled ‘Because I Love You’, is in an initial print of 3500 copies. It is being produced by Sleeping Bear Press, an Ann Arbor book publisher. The project was funded in part by WCC’s service learning program.

Adam Robinchaud presented the book’s concept to the WCC Board of Trustees in December. “In Nursing 131 we researched infant health and a major concern was safe sleep practices. The American Academy of Pediatrics has clear guidelines about safe sleep and there’s been many campaigns put forth to new parents, they receive lots of literature and the hospital’s brochures, things like that, but the incidence of crib deaths aren’t seeming to go down.”

Theresa Dubiel, professor of nursing and childbearing at WCC, “I was inspired by the nursing students who were concerned about the rate of infant deaths related to unsafe sleep practices and were passionate about the Safe Sleep campaign. Their enthusiasm and genuine concern was contagious,” said Dubiel.

Mary Mullalord, a Professor of Children’s Literature, was invited into the project by Dubiel after they received the grant to fund the book project, “I was super excited to help with the project. I offered to show
examples of baby books and talk a bit about what makes a good book,” Mullalord said.

Currently, Providence Park Hospital in Novi, distributes the Safe Sleep book to new parents in the Birthing Center. Dubiel and her students are currently looking for other local nonprofit agencies who would like to share copies of the book with families. “We wanted to give back to our clinical partners who educate nursing students in clinical courses,” Dubiel said.

Other departments are looking into similar projects: according to Robinchaud, the dental department is planning on writing a similar book for parents about baby teeth.

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