This page is to help raise money for Gosset Ward, Northampton General Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. I am Nikki, my partner is Phil and we have a wonderful and gorgeous premie baby called Isabelle, who was born weighing just 3lb 6oz. Isabelle spent four weeks being cared for on Gosset Ward before she was healthy enough to be allowed to come home. We would like to raise money for Gosset Ward via crowdfunding so that we can buy necessary equipment for them to help and support other babies in need of specialist care. Once we have raised some money, we will consult with Gosset Ward and choose something from their list. We will be adding updates regularly and publishing what we purchase for Gosset Ward with the money raised.

Our beautiful daughter Isabelle was born prematurely at 32 weeks 5 days following a very sudden and very severe onset of pre eclampsia. I had been admitted to hospital just after 30 weeks pregnant and I was totally unprepared for what was about to unfold.

The doctors kept telling me that my baby would be early, but they would try to get me to a respectable 35 weeks, which is apparently when most babies have developed sufficiently enough to be able to suckle and there would be less risk of complications. However, I was so very poorly that 35 weeks was just too far away and I had to have an emergency c-section on June 13th 2017. I kept telling the doctors 'she's (Isabelle) not ready yet!) but unfortunately the pre-eclampsia was getting the better of me and they needed to get her out.

I can honestly say that we were going into surgery not knowing if our precious baby was going to be ok or not. I wasn't thinking about how poorly or not I was; that really didn't matter to me. All that mattered was that our baby was going to be ok when I felt that my body had drastically let her down and she was going to have to be born so early.

While the many doctors rushed around me pumping me with all sorts to keep my blood pressure from continuing to soar, surgeons were delivering Isabelle and would you believe she came out crying. I can tell you now - that was a sound I didn't think I would hear. I actually asked if that was our baby crying as I was in such disbelief and shock. What a fighter I thought to myself. We weren't out of the woods yet though and Isabelle was immediately passed to specialist nurses from Gosset Ward, who were right there in theatre with us ready to take Isabelle and - dare I say - work on her.

Isabelle was put straight onto CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Pressure - and then straight into a transportable incubator and taken to Gosset Ward where the specialists continued to care for her. I did not get to hold Isabelle or properly see her as she was being wheeled away in this incubator with what looked like an oxygen mask and prongs up her tiny nose. All I could do was lay completely helpless on the table wondering if our baby was ok, what did she look like, and how tiny she looked.

Phil was able to go up to sit with Isabelle in Gosset Ward that night and he sent me photos and videos and updates. Meanwhile, I was in intensive care and was not allowed to see her for 24 hours minimum! To say that was hard is an understatement. No one can prepare you for being apart from your newborn.

The following evening I was off most of the drips and drugs and was allowed to be wheeled up to Gosset Ward. I was so excited to meet Isabelle but also very nervous at the same time. I was immediately greeted by the specialist nurse that was looking after Isabelle and was shown to her incubator. Inside was a teeny tiny baby on all sorts of wires and drips and tubes. Her little head was the size of a tennis ball and I had never seen a baby so small. I was allowed to put my hand through the incubator window and touch her tiny hand and talk to her but the most magical moment was when the nurse said I could hold her for a few moments. We had been warned that we would not be able to get her out and hold her as the incubator was keeping her temperature regulated so this came as a great surprise. The nurse placed this tiny baby in my hands and I held her to me. There was hardly anything of her to hold onto and I was terrified I was going to hold her too tight and break her but this moment of holding her was purely magical. I didn't want to put her back in the incubator and I certainly didn't want to leave her to go back to my own ward. However I was reassured that she was going to be well taken care of and constantly monitored all night long.

At this time we didn't know how long Isabelle would be in Gosset Ward for but she had a long way to go before she was able to come home. Her little body had to learn to regulate temperature, gain weight, learn to feed and gain the strength to take all her feeds herself. The staff at Gosset Ward helped Isabelle along every step of the way, and while doing so taught and supported Phil and I how to care for such a tiny baby that had such specific needs.

Some days were harder than others; when Isabelle appeared to take a step backwards in her progress or when another week passed and still we were not allowed to go home. I found that the staff at Gosset Ward picked up on these down days and were there for us, taking the time to talk to us and support us, doing their best to keep us positive when we were on this very tough road. One of the worst days was when I was discharged from my own ward and had to go home at night. I spent all day in Gosset Ward sitting next to Isabelle and, up til then, I was in the same hospital building at night; just on a different ward. Leaving the hospital for the first time without Isabelle was so so tough. It went against every maternal instinct I had leaving her there. Yet, once again, the staff at Gosset Ward were there to support us, knowing how hard it was and what we were going through.

I have to say that the staff at Gosset Ward did all this for us, all while taking care of all of the other babies and their families that were on Gosset Ward. The specialist care and support for babies that Gosset Ward provides is just brilliant the staff are hard working, caring and compassionate. They taught us how to care for our tiny baby and reassured us that we were on the right track. I am so thankful to say that, despite the whole ordeal, we are very lucky in that Isabelle is a very strong baby and is a fighter. We were home after spending just four weeks in Gosset Ward and thankfully Isabelle continues to thrive, growing bigger and stronger every day. Isabelle is now five months old (how did that happen?!) and just over 11lb 7oz.

As I write this, I am hoping that we can raise the money for Gosset Ward so that more equipment and supplies can be purchased to continue to help and support the babies and families that require their specialist care. We are truly thankful to them for getting us through the toughest time in our lives.