Lummi Blog, July 2020
Most parents are fortunate enough to give birth to a healthy baby, but for some Mums, that reality isn't always the case. After birth there are few occurrences that require babies to undergo mandatory special medical attention. This is where the Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) come in handy!
Neonatal intensive care units are operated by specialists who care for premature babies requiring ongoing medical treatment for critical illnesses. The number of babies in the NICU is actually more than we think there would be. Every year, more than 1,600 babies are born too early.
Here in Victoria, there are four hospitals that provide statewide tertiary NICU services:
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Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg
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Monash Medical Centre, Clayton
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Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville
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Royal Women’s Hospital, Parkville
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We had the pleasure of meeting Maddie, founder of NICU Cheer and a bubbly Mum of 2 kids. NICU Cheer started in 2016 when Maddie gave birth to her son Ashton prematurely at only 30 weeks old. While on the road to recovery, Ashton's life was in the hands of the NICU staff, all of whom were tremendously supportive of her and Ashton. Thanks to their constant support, Ashton is now a happy 4-year-old!
Maddie's mission at NICU Cheer is to give back to NICU teams and spread cheer to parents of premature babies while they're in hospital. Every year NICU Cheer provide gift-bags and hampers to hospitals listed above.
We’re SUPER excited to partner with Maddie to gift the NICUs with pieces of Lummi sleepwear packed in a hamper full of goodies! We admire Maddie’s approach to life and we're very fortunate to work with a true inspiration to all Mums like her!
