My Activity Tracking
6
kms
My target 42 kms
Fundraising for prem babies
After baby Billy was born at 35 weeks, I had a tiny glimpse into the experiences of parents of premature babies.In those first few days, looking at Bill filled me with love, but also so much sadness, his tiny, skeletal limbs and permanent sleepiness a reminder that he should have still been warm and protected in my womb, not out in the harsh light and cold air of the world. It felt like he, and I, had been robbed of something precious.
As a prem baby, Billy didn’t get to spend the so-called Golden Hour on my chest, but instead spent his first days in the hard plastic of a humidicrib. Lying in my hospital bed, separated from my newborn baby and knowing that he would be missing my smell, the sound of my heartbeat, and the warmth of my womb, my only saving grace was the knowledge that he was being cared for with love and skill by an expert Special Care team.
Although we were lucky that Bill was born with strong health indicators, I know this is not the reality for many at Billy’s gestational age and those born much earlier. The experiences of so many families is a heartbreaking amplification of my own: weeks of separation instead of days; cords and tubes where safe, warm hands should be; tiny, barely formed lungs struggling to do a job they shouldn’t yet have had to.
Raising money for premature babies is important to me so that babies like Billy and those who require longer and more intensive support receive only the best care. Although nothing can replace the safety of being inside mum’s belly, the next best thing is the outstanding care provided by medical experts to premature babies across Australia.
I’m so privileged that Billy is home with me and will join me as I rack up the kilometres to raise money for babies like him. Please consider donating to support me in my journey.
