Family donated 12 handmade quilts to premature babies at Marion General Hospital

At just 33 weeks pregnant, Kinzie Lantini, of Galion, went into preeclampsia and was rushed to OhioHealth's Marion General Hospital for an emergency cesarean section.

When her baby girl Cora Lantini was born on Nov. 22, 2019, she was 4 pounds and 8 ounces.

Needing to gain weight, the generally healthy baby spent the next five weeks in Marion General's special care nursery. In that time, Cora was given a quilt donated by a member of the community.

Lantini's mother, Kim Porter, a quilter of 30 years, immediately decided she wanted to make quilts to give back to other premature babies in the hospital.

“We just know Cora got such good care when she was there that I said then, ‘Is this something I could do? Could I make quilts too for this?’” Porter said.

Three years later, On Nov. 22, a shy, but healthy and happy Cora marched into the hospital in pink princess high heels to drop off 12 quilts her grandma made for other premature babies currently in the hospital.

“I just started putting a few aside, and then it was the pandemic and I couldn’t do anything. I was ready to pass them along, and then I was like, ‘Oh, we should wait until Cora’s birthday and in her honor go over with the quilts,’” Porter said.

Lantini said it was "pretty awesome" to be able to give back to the hospital that gave her daughter a quilt during their five-week stay.

“It was kind of tearful a little bit to be there and be in the same spot she was in before,” she said.

Moving forward, the family hopes to make the donation an annual tradition on Cora's birthday each year.

“I just know how much it meant to my daughter to be on the receiving end,” Porter said.

“It was so nice to know someone else out there was caring for her baby too.”

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Family donated handmade quilts to premature babies at Marion General