SPRING, Texas — A stay-at-home mom in Spring has brought joy to hundreds of families in the Houston area.
Caroline Holland hand paints cranial helmets for babies.
She does it all for free.
It all started with her daughter.
“My daughter Lily was breech for the entire third trimester. What that ended up doing was, when she was born, she had a skull that looked kind of like this instead of round,” described Holland, the artist behind Happier Helmets.
Her pediatrician recommended a cranial helmet to gently correct the shape of Lily’s head.
The day she got it, Holland decided to decorate it.
“The moment I did that, it completely transformed the way I viewed it. I went from crying about it to super excited,” said Holland.
She says other moms noticed Lily’s helmet and asked if she would paint theirs.
In less than two years, she’s now hand-painted 280 custom cranial helmets.
Her works of art are on display on the @happierhelmets Instagram page.
Holland does up to six helmets a week.
She turned 8-month-old William Anders into a tiny aviator.
“For some parents, it’s not covered by insurance, so the helmet can be anywhere from $2,500 plus. Instead of having any extra financial burden, [Caroline] could charge $100 to $200 for each helmet, but she does this for free,” said his mom Lindsay. "It really turned what could be a negative experience into such a positive, joyful experience."
Holland does accept donations from parents who want to chip in for supplies, but she says that's not necessary.
She says yes to every family who fits into her schedule.
“I just wanted to do something that brings joy to the process and excitement, and help the moms who are where I was in the beginning,” said Holland.
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