Babies on parade at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center

At 3-months-old, Roman Ruzanov won't remember his first Halloween Costume Parade Oct 26 at the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

But his mom, Erika Ruzanov, always will.

Ruzanov, a former hospital employee, said she had watched Halloween parades in the past and thought it would be a fun event to carry her baby along the route. Most of the fun involved seeing the smiles on the faces of the workers who took a brief pause in their day to enjoy a line of babies in costumes.

"I know when I see a bunch of little babies, it makes my day,” she said.

While Roman won't remember the event, she said it did brighten his day.

“I think the babies love the brightness of the hospital and all the windows,” she said.

She also noted that Roman didn't even fuss when she dressed him in a dragon costume.

The Halloween event itself was far more cute than scary. It was organized with the hospital's Little Nippers postpartum support group which teaches parents important information about how to care for their babies. 

"It's their first Halloween, so I know most parents are excited about that," said Christine Coney, the birth designer at the hospital. "Everybody can have some fun and get their babies dressed up."

The Oct. 26 event was the first Halloween parade at the hospital since 2019. The hospital had a mask policy in place until recently due to COVID-19.

The parade began in the Women's Center and followed a path into the hospital’s administration wings. Hospital workers lined the route.

“It brings a lot of joy to people," Coney said of the parade. "The parents get to show off their little one.”

The Little Nippers group meets each Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in the women’s center at the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.