Help soothe our smallest patients

August 31, 2020

Courtesy of Magee Womens Research Institute and Foundation,

Liam Finnigan was born more than 3 months premature and spent over 3 months in the NICU before he lost his battle. During that time, music was always something that seemed to soothe and comfort Liam.

His parents, Chris and Melanie, established the Liam Finnigan Music Program in his honor. Today they provide sleep soothers to babies in the NICU, comforting them with lullabies, therapy options, and even voice recordings from their loved ones.

“Being able to offer a little extra help to these babies and their families while going through a difficult – and often frightening time – is a special way we can honor Liam,” said Melanie. “Research shows babies who listen to the music exhibited a dramatic improvement in their vital signs. Improvement in vital signs means many little ones can dramatically improve outcomes. With more than 1,800 babies being cared for in UPMC Magee’s NICU, we hoped the program would give babies comfort, as well as parents who cannot be at the beside.”

After their story was featured on the local news, generous community members rallied to donate to the program and help support the most vulnerable patients at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.

Each soother costs $50 to purchase and provides countless hours of comfort to babies in need. So far, enough funds have been raised to buy 34 soothers. Donate today and help us get to our goal of 100!

Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation is the largest research institute in the U.S. dedicated to women’s health and reproductive biology. From woman-controlled HIV protection to therapies that could prevent the recurrence of ovarian cancer, we are impacting lives every day.