Liverpool Women’s Hospital launches Miracle Babies campaign to support sick and premature babies

A glitzy ball will launch a new Liverpool Women’s Hospital campaign to help sick and premature babies and their families.

A host of Liverpool celebrities have already offered their support for the Miracle Babies initiative for which tickets go on sale from July 12.

Organisers plan to reveal their names nearer the time of the gala event being held at Aintree Racecourse in March next year.

But Kate Davis, head of fundraising for The Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity which has created the campaign, says:

“It’s fantastic to have such support already. It’s all about having those conversations about what our neonatal unit does, and no family would understand unless they’d been in that position.

“We are lucky to have such expertise and dedication for our sick and premature babies and when people start talking and hearing about that, they’re really keen to support us.”

“We are in a unique and wonderful position that our committee is made up of people who experience this every day,” adds Becci Cleator, another of the forces behind Miracle Babies and who sits on its board.

A former neonatal nurse herself, she goes on:

“When I was there I saw first hand how people are always willing to go above and beyond their work because they are so passionate about what they are doing.

“But there was a hole in terms of the parental support because there is only so much the NHS can do – and we want to do more.”

The Miracle Babies initiative is aiming to raise extra funds for the NHS Foundation’s neonatal unit so it can offer even more care to the babies and families for whom it already makes an extraordinary difference at a critical and emotional time in their lives

It will continue to help families after they have been discharged – sometimes after spending more than nine months in hospital – with monthly support sessions and by creating a community for parents so they can be there for each other.

It also hopes to fund vital research to enable better outcomes for tiny babies born from 22 weeks, and to improve survival rates for them and poorly youngsters.

“The care that’s delivered while babies are on the unit is at the heart of what we do, but we recognise that this care needs to begin both before birth and also after families leave hospital,” says Kate.

“The babies we care for may have health challenges that extend into childhood and beyond and the impact of having a baby on a neonatal unit can have long term effects on parental well-being and family relationships.

“So it’s about building a community around them. We have had successful programmes with our Honeysuckle team which is our bereavement support team, so this is a similar model to that.

“The LWH charity already creates awareness days for siblings and activities, and fun food events for families, trying to better the facilities and experience they have. But we want to improve on that. There’s a lot more we can do and that’s where Miracle Babies comes in.”

Organisers are appealing to companies across the city to support them and the inaugural Miracle Babies ball, by buying tables for 10 for £1,500.

They can also sponsor a table for families and staff (who can also purchase a table for £1,100).

The search is also on for luxury raffle prizes from businesses as arrangements continue to create an amazing evening that will afford families with even more care and support than they already receive.

“A lot of children, because they’re born so prematurely or ill, go on to have further problems and it’s also about accessing help for them and partnering other charities who might be able to lend support, as well as creating those communities that can help each other.

“There are so many companies in the city who will share our values and goals, and we would love them to partner us and get behind us,” says Kate. “It’s all about giving children and their families a better future.”

Anyone wanting to support Miracle Babies with donations, raffle prizes or by purchasing tables can call the LWH charity on 0151 702 4044,  email miraclebabiesliverpool@gmail.com or go to their JustGiving page.

Find out more and follow Miracle Babies here.

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