Milk station donation helping premature babies
Babies born prematurely needing specialist care will benefit from a £9,450 donation by a couple whose baby was born 13 weeks early.
The money will fund a milk kitchen in Basildon Hospital’s Neonatal unit where parents can safely prepare their babies’ feeds themselves.
Danielle and Chris Batley, from Horndon-on-the-Hill, spent ten weeks there last summer when their daughter Iris was born prematurely.
Danielle said: “We can only thank the staff at Basildon for all the support they gave us whilst Iris was in the Neonatal unit. That is why we have raised this money.”
The couple said they struggled with not having the independence to clean and sterilise the equipment needed to express milk, or prepare the bottles, while at the unit with Iris.
The new preparation area means parents and carers can sterilise their own equipment in a safe environment without having to ask the nurses.
Lucy Lisle, Senior Neonatal unit Sister, said: “It can be incredibly hard for parents on our unit; on top of the worry and exhaustion of having an unwell baby, they often feel less involved in their newborn’s care than they’d hoped.
“Having the chance to prepare their baby’s bottles and sterilise pumps and bottles themselves will mean so much to them.”
Iris, now seven months old, needed oxygen support until recently but is now thriving.
She made a very welcome return to the unit to help her mum and dad hand over the cheque. The money was raised by a combination of a charity golf day, which raised £5,000, and an open day at their Essex-based flower farm.