Amy's Story
AMY
Amy Brown was born at 26 weeks after her mum Carole Harris developed pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome in her pregnancy. She weighed just 850g and spent her first 98 days in hospital.
When Amy was ten days old her lungs deteriorated and the regular neonatal ventilator was no longer able to keep her alive. Her parents were told to prepare to say goodbye.
However that very day a new technologically advanced ‘high frequency ventilator’ was delivered to the hospital – a gift from Running for Premature Babies. Carole says, “Quite simply this machine saved Amy’s life. It kept her alive for the next two weeks - without it Amy would definitely have died.”
Two weeks later, when Amy was 3 and a half weeks old, another gift from Running for Premature Babies played a big part in Amy’s survival. Access to a technologically advanced ‘Giraffe’ humidicrib meant that when Amy needed heart surgery she was able to be operated on from within her humidicrib, rather than having to be transferred to an operating table, significantly reducing stress on the baby.
Amy didn’t simply survive her premature birth, she thrived. She is now 14 years old and has defied the odds. She’s academically gifted, in Year 8 at the selective school Sydney Girls High, plays the piano and is an A-Grade soccer player, with her team recently won the premiership championship and making it to the State Cup finals!
Amy is keenly aware of how the charity saved her life and is passionate about giving back to the charity so others can be as lucky as she was. This year Amy has joined thousands from around Australia in the charity’s virtual Premmie Marathon Challenge. Participants pledge to walk, run or ride their chosen marathon distance (21km/42km/100km/200km/300km) through November, tracking their km on the Premmie Marathon Challenge App.
