It truly is amazing how one man can help shape the lives of so many people, but Mr Rogers did just that.
After hosting Mister Rogers' Neighborhood for more than 30 years, Fred Rogers helped generations of people be kinder and more caring individuals, as he helped us all understand right from wrong, as we learned to navigate this difficult world.
Now, his kindness has been honored in the most heart-warming way possible by a women’s hospital in Pittsburgh who wanted to champion the TV icon for World Kindness Day and Cardigan Day on November 13.
When Joanne Rogers — the wife of the late Fred "Mister" Rogers — walked into the Pittsburgh’s UPMC Magee-Women's Hospital, she was greeted by hundreds of staff members singing 'Won’t You Be My Neighbor?' in the lobby.
Check out this heartwarming clip of Mr Rogers singing 'Won’t You Be My Neighbor?':And if that wasn't enough, Joanne Rogers was also surprised by six adorable newborn babies - all dressed up as the beloved television legend.
All six newborns were born on November 11 or 12 at the hospital, and looked absolutely adorable in tiny crocheted cardigans, a decorative tie, and sneakers that resemble the comfy pair Fred Rogers would change into at the start of each episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Speaking to Huffington Post, a spokesperson for the hospital revealed that nurse Caitlin Pechin made all the adorable outfits. Each sweater took around two hours to make, and each pair of booties took about half an hour.
World Kindness Day is a national observance that encourages people to carry out random acts of kindness. Funnily enough, it also coincides with Cardigan Day, a social media movement started by WQED in Pittsburgh (where Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was produced). Cardigan Day encourages the public to wear a cardigan that Mr Rogers would be proud of.
Joanne Rogers adored the surprises! In an interview sent to Huffpost, Joanne joked that she had to restrain herself from cuddling each of the babies, and quipped that she was "being good" by not nuzzling each one.
According to Joanne, her late husband also adored babies. She revealed: "Fred really loved babies. And he was very comfortable with them, and they usually with him."
To add even more adorable-ness to this story, Joanne revealed that she was wearing one of her late husband's old sweaters:
"I think the sweater I’m wearing right now was Fred’s. An early one that didn’t have the zipper. He went to zippers because when he was buttoning he would come out uneven at the bottom."
Not going to lie, I teared up about 14 times writing this!