Children who were born prematurely and their parents joined nurses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in putting their best feet forward to mark World Prematurity Day.
Every year hundreds of poorly premature babies are admitted onto the Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) so nurses felt it was important to join the Bliss Charity in supporting this international event.
Nine babies and children who were treated on NICU along with their parents returned to the hospital on Thursday, November 17, to walk 500 steps around the corridors. Each step represented the 500 babies who are annually admitted to the unit.
Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Pru Fox along with six of her colleagues also walked 90,000 steps to mark all of the babies who admitted each year to UK Neonatal Units.
The team, who were also celebrating the event by wearing purple, took five hours to walk from Dersingham and the Hospital. Their route took in West Newton, Castle Rising and the Woottons.
Mrs Fox said: “Although we were not blessed with the best weather, the walk was quite good and we were pleased to be welcomed back with tea and cake.
“The birth of a baby is always a wonderful event but if it is a premature birth that creates a lot of worry for parents. That is why we felt it was important to support World Prematurity Day.
“We also wanted to remember all of the babies who have been treated on here along with their families.
“Bliss is a very active charity and supports us a lot.”
Nursery Nurse Debbie Linford knitted a selection of purple booties to hand out to babies who are currently being treated on the unit.
Free tea and cake were offered to parents in the unit’s family room and the team also raised £80 on the day with a cake stall.
–ENDS—
Nurses, parents and babies on their 500 steps around the hospital for World Prematurity Day.
QEH Media Hub 