Area Family Donates Books to Local NICU to help Babies’ Brains Take Flight

Daytona Beach, FL – (July 11, 2025) Studies show that reading to your child has significant and lasting effects on their development like social and thinking skills. in our Halifax Health - Neonatal ICU, where our littlest patients spend time getting stronger, children’s books are available for parents to read to their baby which promote bonding, comfort, language development, and literacy, and to reduce parent stress.

One such example is the Nardi family whose baby was born prematurely. Mr. and Mrs. Nardi spent each day with their baby girl holding and feeding her in the NICU at Halifax Health eagerly awaiting the day they could take her home. One day, Mr. Nardi mentioned to his wife that he wished he could better connect with his child. That’s why his wife, a life-long book lover, suggested reading to their daughter.

“We brought in one of my own children’s books that I had stored away at home and began reading to our daughter every day and we haven’t stopped,” said Mrs. Nardi. “Now I’m involved in a company that gives back to communities by donating books.”

“Mrs. Nardi was so moved by the care and progress her daughter received at Halifax Health, and believed the books made such a difference in her progress, that her family began a fundraiser that contributed over 400 children’s books for families with babies the NICU,” said Tanya Wolfe, Nurse Manager of our Halifax Health - Neonatal ICU. “Now, each NICU family will be able to go home with a book to read to their child to continue the bonding and language development.”

About Halifax Health

Halifax Health is the leading healthcare provider for Volusia and Flagler counties, offering a comprehensive range of services through a network that includes a tertiary hospital, two community hospitals, an urgent care network, psychiatric services, and a specialized cancer treatment center with multiple outreach locations. As the area’s only provider of a Level II Trauma Center, Center for Transplant Services, and a Pediatric Emergency Department staffed 24/7 by board-certified pediatricians, Halifax Health is also home to the region's longest-standing Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Child and Adolescent Behavioral Services. In addition, Halifax Health has collaborated with UF Health to bring over fourteen specialties to the area.

Recognized for excellence and innovation, Halifax Health consistently receives top ratings, including a 5 STAR rating in the CMS Quality of Patient Care, multiple accreditations from CARF International for inpatient rehabilitation, and the prestigious Novalis Certification of Excellence for its cancer treatment center. The organization has also achieved a 3 Star Rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgery for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, is designated as a Comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Hospital, with high performance in heart failure and knee and hip replacement. Halifax Health Hospice is repeatedly honored as the Top Rated and Most Recommended Hospice in Central Florida, underscoring its commitment to providing the highest level of care. With a legacy of excellence and community service since 1928, Halifax Health continues to set the standard for quality and compassionate care in the region.