Thursday 17 November was World Prematurity Day – a global movement to raise awareness of premature birth and the sometimes-devastating impact it can have on families.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) an estimated 15 million infants worldwide are born preterm every year and staff from the Newcastle Hospitals Neonatal unit have marked the event to help raise awareness of the amazing tiny patients they care for.
Emma Carmichael senior nurse on ward 35 at Newcastle Hospitals said: “World Prematurity Day is the most important day within our speciality for raising awareness of the challenges of preterm births. It’s important to make our mark here in Newcastle as part of this global movement to demonstrate that we are continuously striving to improve the service we deliver to babies and their families.
“Parents are often thrust into a world of uncertainty, stress and fear when their baby is born prematurely. Huge advances have been made in neonatal care over recent years and we aim to improve the support we provide for parents to ensure our approach is family integrated.”
Like many other iconic landmarks and building around the world, both the Tyne and Millennium bridges turned purple to mark the event in Newcastle. The wind and rain on Thursday put a stop to a planned ‘tiny lights for tiny lives’ sponsored walk which has already raised an impressive £3,000 for the charity Tiny Lives which supports the unit at the RVI.
For families on the unit staff marked the day by providing pamper packs which included a keepsake decoration and a poem written by a member of staff. Each baby received a mini boo – a specialist item that helps with bonding – especially important for babies on the neonatal unit, and a knitted hat to keep as a precious memory.
Lush also hosted a face mask making session so parent had the chance to indulge in a little me time to make their own face mask and have a hand and arm massage. The employee from Lush had been a parent on the unit herself twice so really knew first hand how the families were feeling.
Two families have kindly shared their stories showing why it is so important to raise awareness of premature birth.
Theo’s Story
You never think it will happen to you at all, let alone twice. When we lost our son Jackson in 2019 to extreme prematurity, no one knew what to say or do. It was a completely unknown territory and a very taboo subject, with a lot of people thinking we had miscarried. However, when Theo arrived, once again extremely early (17 weeks and two days early to be precise) we felt slightly more prepared for the worst-case scenario and felt determined to tell our babies story to all our friends.
This time around our journey was very different. Theo defied all odds that were stacked against him as a 22 weeker. He took every step in his stride and always had amazing doctors and nurses around him. He cam home only two days after his due date, spending 123 days in NICU at the RVI.
Nobody can physically prepare you for what the NICU has in store for you and your baby. However, one thing is for certain, the love, care and support you receive is outstanding. The facet that everybody knows someone who was born premature, but they do not realise the journey that baby needed to make to come home is the exact reason we need to raise awareness for our premature babies.
We are proud to be parents of not just one, but two babies; both born into this world prematurely, because from small acorns grow mighty oaks.
Theo is now two and has been discharged from all departments, except neonatal and community paediatrician. He is such a smart, strong minded, determined and charismatic little boy; coupled with a wicked personality he has taken to being a bit brother amazingly although we’re not sure if he rules the house anymore….
Louis’ Story
When Louis was born at 24 weeks, my whole world came crashing down around me. I thought that was it. I thought that there was no way my baby could survive. He was so small. 1lb 10oz – tiny. He didn’t look real. But what I’ve learned since that day is these teeny, tiny babies are the strongest little humans ever to grace this planed.
Every single day we faced a new challenge, a new trauma, something seemed to go wrong every single day. I was told the journey would be a rollercoaster, but I didn’t know just how much. Some days all I could focus on was getting through the next hour. There was a list of complications that premature babies could face and Louis seemed to be ticking each and every one daily.
I knew I had to stay positive for Louis, I started asking the consultants not to tell me what was wrong, but instead just come to me with a plan of action. Tell me what we are doing that day to help Louis – to help Louis get better. I only focussed on what was going right. Even on the days when finding something that was going right, was hard, very hard. I made sure I found something and focussed on that. I’d get through an hour, I’d get through till midday, I’d get through till teatime. Then the agonising night-time.
But slowly and surely things did start to get better. Louis was growing and getting stronger by the day. The good things began to go outweigh the bad and I could start to see the light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel.
After 16 months in hospital Louis was finally allowed to come home with me and since then he has come on leaps and bounds. We’ve faced little challenges along the way and Louis is still fed via an NH tube but he has now started school – something I never thought would happen.
I look back now at the horrific and bleak days in hospital and know that what Louis went through. What I went through with him gave us an immeasurable bond. It makes me so grateful and thankful to every single hospital staff member that literally saved Louis’ life, every singe day.
The last thing it taught me is that if all you have is hope that day, hold on to it, because hope and love will get you through.
