A NORTHWICH mum has pledged her support for a £1million appeal to help vulnerable babies in mid Cheshire.
Hannah Wennell is backing the Mid Cheshire Hospital Charity’s One in Eleven Appeal after the care she received when her daughter Francesca was born in March 2010.
The 33-year-old mum-of-one, who lives in Winnington, has become the first person to buy a leaf to place on the appeal’s Tree of Life, which represents babies who have received care from the neonatal unit and gone on to live happy, healthy lives.
She said: “Francesca wasn’t premature, she arrived on her due date but was very small.
“At just 5lb 3oz she couldn’t regulate her blood glucose levels, she had to have a gastric tube and was in the neonatal unit for about a week.
“She also had problems with her sodium levels.
“I was really fortunate to have a bedroom at the unit so I could stay with her the whole time.”
The One in Eleven Appeal aims to reach its £1m target in the next 18 months to enhance the neonatal unit with new equipment, modern facilities and more space and privacy for parents, providing comfort during an emotional time.
The charity plans to move the unit adjacent to the labour ward which will be double its size.
A number of cot-side web cams, providing a virtual link if a mother is too ill to visit her newborn, and telemedicine video links for expert advice and opinions will also be installed.
Hannah added: “As a first time parent you can’t put a price on the support at the neonatal unit. Everything is new to you and it can be a very worrying time.
“If your child is ok then you are only in the hospital for a short period of time.
“You don’t realise how important the unit is until you need that support and, of course, it proved invaluable to us.”
About 3,000 babies are born at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust every year and one in 11 need additional support – ranging from a few hours of special care to a few weeks in an intensive care unit.
The two metre high copper tree stands proudly in the neonatal unit.
To buy a copper leaf, engraved with your baby’s name, contact Laura Bailey on 01270273248.
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