Working in the medical profession doesn’t give much time for anything else. Most doctors and nurses laugh sarcastically at the idea that they might have a hobby – tiresome shifts working long hours make the idea impossible.
But one doctor, Erik Bostrom, from Northern Minnesota, has somehow managed to fit a quirky hobby into his free time, and it’s just about the cutest thing you’ll ever hear!
The 33-year-old doctor delivers babies by day, and sews personalized blankets for each newborn by night.
Initially, Erik had been looking for a way to attract new patients, having just started working at the Riverwood Healthcare Center.
Being the new guy is always tough, and Erik knew that patients would just opt for a familiar face instead of choosing him as their doctor.
So Erik decided on a goal that was completely new to him: sewing baby blankets.
Despite having never stitched material before in his life, Erik had stitched plenty of human skin before – and how different could it be?
He set up a “sewing room” in his house and had his mom and sister-in-law teach him the basics. He admitted to The Star Tribune that sewing was actually a lot easier than he thought it would be.
Erik started easy, creating basic cuddle blankets for his patients’ babies.
But as he became more skilled at the craft, he started to stitch each baby’s name, birthday, height and weight into each blanket.
If you think Erik’s hobby is quick and breezy, you’d be wrong – each blanket actually takes three hours to make!
But when you see his blankets, it’s easy to understand why it takes Erik so long to create each mini-masterpiece.
Erik’s patients can’t get enough of his creations, with Lucie Heitalati, one mom, being pleasantly overwhelmed with surprise when she received a blanket at her daughter’s two-month appointment.
She said:
“He came in, and he’s like, ‘Well, I have something.’ And he brings out this beautiful, pink blanket.
“It’s a beautiful blanket. It’s something she’ll cherish her entire life.”
Erik revealed to Fox 9 News that he’s had a few parents tear up on him when he’s revealed their personalized baby blankets, and they’re always really thankful for his gift.
Luckily, Erik isn’t inundated with blanket projects, as he would be if he was a full-time midwife.
He’s predominantly a family doctor and only delivers one to two babies a month. He finds that the joy of a new baby is a much-needed break from meeting with families who have sick children.
Erik is glad to be able to spread positivity with his adorable blankets, but he never expected to become a viral sensation.
That’s exactly what happened, though, when The Uplift shared Erik’s story on Facebook.
The video had more than 3000 reactions and hundreds of comments. Erik had earned himself quite a fanbase of adoring Facebook users.
https://www.facebook.com/umnmedschool/photos/dr-erik-bostrom-graduate-of-the-university-of-minnesota-medical-school-and-rural/2051504351594871/
One person wrote:
“We need more doctors like him, and that shows me he really truly cares. And to make them in his spare free time? That’s so caring and wonderful.”
We completely agree – Erik’s main intention might have been to attract more patients, but his hours of dedicated sewing shows that he sees his work as more than just something that pays the bills.
The Uplift’s video is a must-watch if you haven’t seen it already! Click “play” below to watch it now.
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