Our little Rosie was brought into this world 8 weeks early, weighing 3lbs and measuring very small. Rosie was blessed to be born straight into the care of Meadowbank at Bedford. The team at Bedford not only care for premature / sick babies, but their caring team also know exactly how to look out for the parents / guardians too. The journey of ups and downs of Neonatal Care is made easier with the expertise, support and empathy the team give you. The team ensure everything is explained, how to care for your own mental health and give you the knowledge on caring for your baby. Doing your first ever nappy change in an incubator, with wires and tubes that seem everywhere, is very daunting at first! I cannot put into words how hard it is to leave your baby in hospital to go home for some rest, with the feeling of worry, guilt and stress. Those that have experience the journey of NICU understand the overwhelming senses you feel during your journey.

Meadowbank is Bedford Hospital’s Neonatal Unit, situated in the Trust’s dedicated Women and Children’s Department in the Cygnet Wing. The Neonatal Unit is a Level 1 Special Care Baby Unit which employs specialist Neonatal Nurses to care for premature and unwell new-born babies and their families.

Bedford Meadowbank Neonatal Unit welcomes donations to buy state of the art equipment, clothes and items to support babies and families going through the ordeal of care.

As a massive thank you for the support and care we had as a family, I would love for you to donate anything you could spare, to go straight to the unit and help many more families and babies in the future. We were so lucky to receive the care we did and to be able to go home with Rosie in a good place after 4 weeks on the ward.

To raise funds, on the 11th of August 2025, I and a team will walk from our place of work at Signature Aviation at Luton Airport, to the Meadowbank Neonatal Unit at Bedford Hospital. The route will take us up plenty uphill challenges, covering over 20 miles, with a predicted 10 hour continuous walking time. I cannot put into words how important fundraising is for the unit and I would love for any donation you could possibly spare!

THANK YOU Meadowbank for everything and thank you for your time reading this all.