Story
We are fundraising for East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals' Charity!
We've have three babies from the EAW team who needed the specialist care of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Here are their stories
Malia
Born 10 weeks premature via an emergency C-section on 10th September 2023 weighing 3lb. She received round the clock care and treatment including CPR, multiple blood transfusions, infection treatment for sepsis, CPAP, oxygen support and jaundice treatment. She spent her first 7 weeks of life in NICU at Lister Hospital. Our special thanks to the amazing neonatal team at Lister for looking after us during Malia's stay. You made a hard first chapter as easy as possible with your support and guidance, and we will forever be grateful.
Michael
Michael was born at full term via cesarean section as he was deemed a high risk pregnancy due to my age of 43. I had no complications during pregnancy. However, when Michael was delivered he aspirated amniotic fluid into his lungs which led to pheumonia. He was kept in NICU for 7 days. The hardest thing for me was to leave him at the hospital when I was discharged. All I wanted was to hold him but he seemed so frail. As a mom I felt very isolated and alone as this was the one thing I did not prepare for. The NICU visits seemed too short but I was aware he was in the most capable hands and needed lots of rest to recuperate so that I could take him home. The work done by the staff at the NICU is highly underrated as they provide not only the care and attention that these tiny babies need, but also offer advice and support to parents. I know any funds raised will be much needed for their highly specialised unit.
Freddie
In 2018, I fell pregnant with my first baby, Freddie. I had a normal pregnancy with minimal complications. At 40+5 weeks pregnant, I went into labour, and unfortunately things didn’t go as planned due to finding out I was diagnosed with placenta previa. I had to have an emergency C-Section to deliver baby safely. Straight from delivery Freddie went into the NICU unit at Lister Hospital where he was looked after for a week until he got better. As I was a young first time mum, this was a really traumatic experience but the nurses in NICU were amazing and so supportive and helpful. I felt reassured knowing he was being so well looked after there whilst I was also recovering myself. I am so grateful for the NICU unit and it is really important that we raise as much money as possible for them to ensure they can keep doing what they do.
What are we raising funds for?
Help us fund a neonatal multi-birth cot - A multi-birth cot helps to support bonding between newborn twin and triplet babies. It also helps them regulate their body temperatures, sleep cycles and soothe each other. It is also beneficial to the parents as they learn how to safely position their babies.
More about the charity
The charity supports the four hospitals within the East and North Hertfordshire Trust - Lister Hospital, New QEII, Hertford County and Mount Vernon Cancer Centre - helping them go above and beyond for patients, their families and visitors. The charity funds new specialist equipment, extra staff training, research and projects to enhance patient experience.