Derek inspires gift of $57,000 incubator
Derek Dowman was reunited with nurses who helped looked after him as a premature baby when his grandparents donated a $57,000 Babyleo incubator.
Derek, now a chatty 5-year-old, was one of the reasons why New Plymouth supermarket owners Rob and Denise Dowman donated the intensive care incubator, the gold standard of care for acutely sick newborn babies.
Their grandson was born at 31 weeks and five days and spent about seven weeks in the Taranaki Base Hospital Neo Natal Unit, Rob Dowman said.
‘‘I employ 150 people at work and that’s 150 families that all have different needs in the community. I’ve had a few staff members over the years who have had prem babies as well.’’
‘‘People end up needing things. There will be times people we associate with will need this.’’
Dowman, who owns the New World supermarket in central New Plymouth, came forward with the massive donation after reading about the appeal by the Taranaki Health Foundation to raise money for an intensive care incubator.
That appeal, late last year, successfully raised the money for an incubator. The Dowmans’ donation means there are now two.
Neo Natal clinical nurse manager Abi Webber said the incubators were going to enhance the developmental care of the babies.
‘‘It means they can go into the incubator from the moment they are born until they no longer need an incubator and from a developmental point of view that’s very important, less movement, less noise. It’s hugely important for us.’’
Taranaki Health Foundation general manager Adrian Sole said they were looking for one Babyleo and now they had two. ‘‘We put the call out and the community and the Dowman’s came to the rescue.’’