Brighter Futures is asking for your support to raise £175,000 for specialist equipment to help care for babies on the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Great Western Hospital.
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s charity is launched its new Incubator Appeal on Tuesday 20 March, to fund five state-of-the-art incubators for SCBU.
The new equipment will help provide neonatal care to more than 450 babies born at the hospital every year who need additional support in the first few days of their lives.
The new incubators have a number of innovative features, including a hood that can be opened with just one finger, an adjustable height so that parents can get closer to, and have more contact with, their babies, and even an iPod port so parents can play soft music or the sound of their own voice to their little ones.
Brighter Futures will be invited parents of babies who have been cared for in SCBU and hospital staff to a special launch event to get the appeal off the ground.
Brighter Futures will also be working in partnership with local charity New Life, which is dedicated to raising money for special care baby units, to help reach the £175,000 target.
Catherine Newman, Head of Brighter Futures, said: “Everyone deserves the best start in life, and we know these incubators will provide the latest technology to support our staff in SCBU and make things just that little bit easier for parents to spend time with their babies.
“Raising £175,000 will allow us to replace five of the 10 existing incubators in SCBU and we’re delighted to have the support of New Life to help us reach this goal.”
Trevor Goodall set up New Life in 1995 in memory of his sons who were born three months prematurely and sadly died a week later.
He said: “I am delighted to be working with Brighter Futures on this appeal as it remains very close to my heart. We will do all we can to help achieve the £175,000 total as quickly as possible.”
Dr Sarah Bates, Consultant Neonatologist, said: “These incubators use the very latest technology to help the neonatal team to give the very smallest and sickest babies the best chance at a healthy future.
“Evidence shows that, for these babies, having contact with their parents early on is very beneficial, and these incubators support that in a very special way.
“We are so grateful to Brighter Futures and New Life for launching this appeal. It will make a huge difference to babies and families who require help from the Special Care Baby Unit in the future.”
Sophie Cooke knows more than most what it’s like to have a child needing special care, as both her daughters have been cared for on SCBU following their births in 2014 and 2016. Both are now doing well.
Sophie said: “Having two children stay in SCBU is without a doubt the hardest, most painful thing I have ever had to endure. I still can’t walk past the door to SCBU without my breath catching in my throat.
“Words cannot express how grateful we are to everyone in SCBU, for looking after our daughters. We will forever be in your debt.”
To make a donation to the Brighter Futures SCBU Incubator Appeal, text SCBU18 followed by the amount you want to donate to 70070, visit the appeal page at www.brighterfuturesgwh.nhs.uk or call the Brighter Futures team on 01793 605631.
Further information about the appeal, including more parent stories, can be found on the Brighter Futures website.
