Support families with premature babies in hospital

THIS year, many people have been separated from their loved ones, whether that’s because they live far away, they’ve been shielding, or they’ve been in hospital. Many people have been affected by the coronavirus and felt the loneliness and helplessness of not being able to be together.

Sadly, this reality has been known to the hundreds of families across the country affected every day by premature birth.

Many families tell us at The Sick Children’s Trust that their chances of staying close to their baby’s hospital incubator were small, had it not been for our help.

They tell us that they have no idea how long their baby will be in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or if they will make it home. At a time when everything is uncertain, The

Sick Children’s Trust gives families some stability in their day-to-day life, by supporting them with a place to stay close to their baby in our “Homes from Home”.

From the very beginning we are there, giving as many families with a child in hospital as possible a place to stay which gives them one less thing to worry about so that they can focus on their premature baby.

Tuesday, November 17, marks World Prematurity Day, where in the UK 60,000 babies are born premature every year, and while we know this year has been a challenging one for everyone, we ask your readers to consider making a £30 donation to The Sick Children’s Trust to support families with premature babies in hospital.

This money will go directly towards giving a family a place to stay close to their baby’s bedside, keeping a family together, and the doors of our “Homes from Home” open.

To make a donation, please visit sickchildrenstrust.org/donate

Jane Featherstone ,