The Tiny Lives Fund, Community Foundation
Cale Cross, 156 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6SU
Tel: 0191 222 0945
Registered Charity Number 700510
Limited Company No. 2273708
1. About Us
2. Latest News
4. Get Involved
6. Your Stories
7. Contact Us
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he Neonatal Unit at the Royal
Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne specialises is saving babies
lives. Every year, 600 premature or ill newborn babies are admitted
to the hospital from across the North East, with up to 30 babies being
looked after at any one time.
Click here to view our frequently asked questions |
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| New store opening Date added - 19th February 2010 Ex-England and Newcastle footballer Peter Beardsley and three-year-old Brooke Armstrong were the guests of honour when the new Tesco Metro store on Clayton Street, Eldon Square celebrated its opening at 12 noon on Tuesday 16th February. Store manager Dawn Ross presented Peter with a £2500 donation for the Newcastle United Foundation. Then presented Brooke with a £2500 donation for Tiny Lives. Brooke was born three weeks premature and weighted just four pounds when she was born by emergency caesarean at the RVI Brooke’s father Rob said: “Brooke really enjoyed being the guest of honour, and she had a lovely afternoon. We were delighted to be involved in the store opening, and would like to thank Tesco for the donation - the money will be a great help and will go towards some new heat pads for the newborns to use. “When Brooke was born the dedication and hard work of everyone in the neonatal unit was just wonderful, and this donation will enable the staff there to continue their great work.” |
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| Training Course Date added - 17th February 2010 ...for two staff members to go to the UNICEF UK baby Friendly Initiative Conference Helen Gray (Post Natal Liaison Sister) and Helen Smith (Sister ward 35) attended the UNICEF UK baby Friendly Initiative Conference in November 2009. Both Helens have a particular interest in breast feeding the preterm/ small babies on ward 35 and post natal and the conference proved to be a very worthwhile overview on current practice. Strategies for fighting obesity are currently high on the government agenda and the conference was opened by Dr. Peter Bundred who gave a review of current literature on the relationship between breast feeding and the prevention of early life obesity. A particularly interesting presentation was given by a Social Marketing Agency which implemented programs designed to bring about social change using concepts from commercial marketing. Such projects have been successful in increasing breast feeding rates of targeted populations and this heightened our awareness its power in changing behavior in a health context. On the second day, we were particularly interested in the presentation by Professor Kerstin Hedberg who works within a neonatal intensive care unit in Uppsala, Sweden. The unit employs a model of care whereby parents are encouraged to stay for 24 hours per day to care for their baby by offering continuous skin-to-skin contact (including those babies who are ventilated). This model proves a stark contrast to those used in UK neonatal units where kangaroo mother care is generally limited to 1-2 hours or less. The conference was supported by exhibitors such as breast feeding networks and educational (book) suppliers and we were able to meet and talk to other professionals to compare practice. We were grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend. Helen Smith |
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| Father and son return to the SCBU Date added - 12th February Keith took part in the Great North Run 2009 raising the wonderful amount of £355.00 for Tiny Lives. Keith’s employer The Royal Bank of Scotland then donated a further £250.00. This bought the total to £655.00. We would like to say thank you to everyone who sponsored Keith, the money raised will go towards helping save these special little lives. With Lewis following in his dad’s footsteps, he took part in the Junior Great North Run 2009 and looking at Lewis taking part in the race you would never believe he spent his first 2 weeks on the Special Care Baby Unit. Lewis is now a very healthy eight-year-old boy. |
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| Ramside Hall supporting Tiny Lives Date added - 27th Janusry 2010
Julie Carverhill a member of staff at Ramside Hall requested their support, if all money raised over the Christmas period could be donated to Tiny Lives, after experiencing first hand of the Special Care Baby Unit, RVI, as Julie’s youngest son Adam was born ten weeks early. Helping on the day was Adam himself alongside his big brother Josh, they both done an excellent job going around with a Tiny Lives bucket collecting donations from people. A BIG thank you to the Carverhill family and also everyone at Ramside Hall for their continuous support. |
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| Royal Grammar School Date added - 25th January 2010 Last month students of Royal Grammar School held their annual charity fashion show in aid of Tiny Lives. The school’s theatre was full as the sixth form students put on their smiles and stilettos to model a variety of clothing. Boys showcased clothes from, Edo, Austin Reed and Jack Jones, with girls modelling Designer and the new Kiara Boutique. Also on show was sports wear from Canterbury, leather jackets from Second Skin, pyjamas from Marks & Spencer and exquisite pieces from Le Beado. Leaf closed the show with a mix of casual and eveningwear. The audience applauded as the girls and boys strutted their stuff, raising over £2000 for a very worthy cause. The show was a great success and thanks go to all those who made it run so smoothly, in particular Mrs Jude Isbister who choreographed the show. |
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| Up date on baby Justin Date added - 22nd January 2010 Donation made to Tiny Lives After their kind donation to Tiny Lives, Ian updates us on baby Justin's progress. We hoped they’d have a lovely Christmas with the good news Justin was aloud home. But unfortunately Justin was rushed to Durham Hospital after turning poorly. He spent all of Christmas and New Year in hospital, finally he was allowed home on January 2nd weighing an amazing 7lbs, which is great compared to Justin being born 1lb and 15oz. |
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| Newsletter 2009 Date added - 24th September 2009 To see our newsletter please click here |
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| Tiny Lives fund state of the art equipment Date added - 10th September 2009 The SimBaby is a “state-of-the-art” infant patient simulator for team training. The SimBaby is a manikin that has realistic anatomy and behaves like a newborn baby. It breathes, moves and you can insert drips and breathing tubes, just like a real baby. It is also connected to a computer that records heart beats and breathing. The trainer can then programme the computer to create realistic scenarios and a video camera can be used to record how the team reacts to a variety of ‘emergency problems’. Afterwards the team can replay the scenario and see how well they performed. The equipment can be used over and over again, with changing scenarios that will allow the nursing and medical staff on ward 35 to improve their skills. |
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| A little help from a Star Date added - 08th September 2009 Rugby Star accepts to become a patron for Tiny Lives Paul Sculthorpe retired Great Britian Captain and St Helens Rugby star found out about Tiny Lives through David and Joanne Spencer, his close friends and business partners, after they had personal experience of the Special Care Baby Unit. Paul wanted to visit the unit to see for himself the phenomenal work the doctors and nurses do on the unit, Paul asked what he could do to help, when asked if he would like to become a patron to help raise the profile, Paul agreed without any hesitance. Paul also has connections with Gateshead Thunders Rugby Club who have also agreed to work along side Tiny Lives. Starting off as he means to go on both Paul and David (whose little boy was on the unit) have both agreed to run the Great North Run 2009 for Tiny Lives, with the dedication that both Paul and David have Tiny Lives can not see the half marathon being a problem for Paul or David……..good luck! To see photo's of Paul's visit to the unit please click here |
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| Research Grant - Funded by Tiny Lives Date added - 19th August 2009 Antibody responses in full term and premature babies. The aim of this study is to look in detail at how vaccinations work in both full term and premature babies. Previous studies have shown that babies born prematurely may respond differently and therefore the aim of this study is to gain further understanding of the level of protection for all babies, including those born prematurely. The study will test the response to immunisations using a number of laboratory techniques which will measure both the amount and the quality of protective antibodies to several of the infant immunisations given routinely to infants in the UK.
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| Tiny Lives Black and White Party 2009 Date added - 24th July 2009 For the seventh year Tiny Lives Patron, Peter Beardsley hosted the Black & White Party. The night is Tiny Lives' largest annual fundraising event and our hopes of holding a successful event surpassed all expectations raising over £23,000 through various activities. After the drinks reception the BarWizards performed a magnificent show before guests moved into the Grandstand Suite, where they were met with the spectacular impact of the masquerade theme, making the room look the best it has ever been. Once again the Tyne Theatre Stage School Dancers raised the roof with there fabulous performance. The Auction was conducted by the very funny Big Fun Club whereby guests were given the opportunity to bid on prizes money could not buy such as 'tickets with hospitality for three people for England v Croatia, including watching the England team train Or shadow showbiz editor Gordon Smart at the Sun Newspaper for one day and attend a showbiz party’ plus lots more!!!! Following the Auction, guests were given the chance to experience the fun casino, and purchase a cocktail made by the fabulous BarWizards. The night concluded with guests being entertained by the ‘Pinstripe Suites’ and the DJ Set. Thank you to everyone for your generous support, this will enable us to provide specialist training, to continue to make the unit a more homely environment and to fund specialist research projects and equipment seeking to improve care now and in the future. If you are interested in attending next years Black & White Party please contact Louise on 0191 222 0945 or louise@communityfoundation.org.uk To see photo's of the night please click here |
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| George Stephenson High School Date added - 24th July 2009 George Stephenson High School raises ...The first fundraising event was a performance of ‘What’s For Pudding’. The comedy was performed by the schools A Level Performing Arts class, with all ticket sales going to Tiny Lives. They raised £95.00 Later in November, the school held George Stephenson High School Game Show Night. The night was based around students and parents acting out popular game shows. The shows that took place were Deal or No Deal, Family Fortunes and The Price is Right. The night raised a further £700.00. Over Christmas a number of events took place to raise a further £1,200, which included, a raffle that was held at the production of Oliver, three sixth formers created a Christmas CD, which was on sale for £3. A Tiny Lives rave was held in the dance studio just before Christmas, which was organised by a Year 13 student. Also some very kind donations from the Senior Citizens party, which got everyone in the Christmas spirit of giving. After the Christmas break the school continued its campaign with a Year 7 Spellathon. On the morning of Thursday 22nd January, all of Year 7 sat a spelling test of 25 words. The event was peer marked and showed some impressive results. A total of £635.00 was raised and was so successful that a team of students will be competing in a National Spelling Bee. In February George Stephenson High School held their second charity day, which was centred on the theme Pink. Students were encouraged to come dressed in Pink or Red and to pay £1, which was put to the total amount, raised on the day. Activities were carried out throughout break and lunch time along with having a chocolate tombola and a reaction test game which were ran by the sixth form students. The day was very successful raising £947.50. On Friday 13th through to Sunday 15th a group of sixth formers gave up their free time to help bag pack at Marks & Spencer at the Silverlink, which raised £1,800 over the three days. Other great charity days and events took place to reach the £10,000 target such as setting a justgiving web page up, so the staff and students could have a Champions League Competition and an Ebay war between Year 7 and 8. Andrea Atkinson Tiny Lives Fundraising Manager said, “Everyone at George Stephenson High School, has been fantastic in helping to hit this target! I have never seen such high standards of events, the games night was incredible. Throughout the whole of the school there is such a fantastic friendly atmosphere, staff and pupils worked so well as a team to help raise this money for Tiny Lives, it certainly speaks volumes for the school and everyone involved with it……….you all should be very proud!” To see photos of staff and students please click here |
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| Rugby hero shows his softer side Date added - 20th May 2009
The second cheque was generously donated by a good friend of the Wilkinsons, following a function that Jonny attended. As one of Jonny chosen charities he visited the Special Care Baby Unit, in 2007 as he wanted to see for himself, the work of Tiny Lives. Jonny said, “ I have to say I am so proud to be in some small way connected with Tiny Lives, I can see how important the charity is to the existence and continuance of the whole support system.” Since 2007 Jonny has donated prizes for our Black and White Party, which is our biggest fundraising event each year. As well as supporting Tiny Lives in other ways. Everyone at Tiny Lives would like to thank Jonny and his family for their great support. |
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Patrons
Peter & Sandra Beardsley
Paddy McDee
Paul Sculthorpe Paul Sculthorpe retired England Captain and St Helens Rugby star found out about Tiny Lives through David and Joanne Spencer, his close friends and business partners, after they had personal experience of the Special Care Baby Unit. Paul wanted to visit the unit to see for himself the phenomenal work the doctors and nurses do on the unit, Paul asked what he could do to help, when asked if he would like to become a patron to help raise the profile, Paul agreed without any hesitance. Paul also has connections with Gateshead Thunders Ruby Club who have also agreed to work along side Tiny Lives. Committee Hello. I am the Matron for Neonatal & Postnatal services at the Royal Victoria Infirmary. I qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1984 and as a midwife in 1986. I worked as a midwife between 1986 and 1992 in both Gibraltar and Germany. I mainly cared for forces wives and my role during that period was in the community. In 1992 I moved back to England where I worked initially as a midwife until I went into the field of Neonatal nursing in 1993. I joined the team at the RVI in 1996 initially as a staff nurse providing care to the mother and her baby. I have experience working in all areas offering neonatal care. I progressed through my career within the neonatal unit and was appointed to the Matron post in 2004. This is an extremely busy role managing a team of approximately 120 nurses within the neonatal unit and 55 midwives on the postnatal wards. I am very closely involved in the day to day running of the areas that I am responsible for. As the Matron I ensure the highest standards of clinical care by providing management and leadership to the staff providing direct care within the neonatal and postnatal wards. I am responsible for ensuring that staff are trained to provide the best possible care to the baby and its family. I am involved in developing guidelines within my area of expertise and I offer professional advice to Head of Midwifery, Head of Nursing, Patient Services Director and Head of Department. I much prefer to be working clinically however my role does not always allow this therefore I ensure that I am accessible to all families should they wish to discuss any concerns that they have. I have been in nursing for 27 years and I am as passionate now as I was when I first walked onto a ward in July 1981 as a student nurse. I am vice chairperson of Tiny Lives. I am very grateful for all the generous donations that have allowed us to provide extra comforts for parents and better equipment for babies. The generous funds also help support training and education for nursing staff which in turn improves the care within the service. I began supporting Tiny Lives with my husband and our children in 1996, following the death of our son, Sam who was nursed on the neonatal unit. We were overwhelmed by Sam’s death but always recognised and remembered the incredible care he received from all the staff on the unit and the support they offered our family. We adopted Tiny Lives as our chosen charity in memory of our son and in 2001 I was invited to become a member of the Tiny Lives committee, as a parent representative. The charity strives to be at the forefront of new developments in neo-natal care and research and I am honoured to be involved in the careful, decision making involved in allocating funds raised to support this work. David Milligan has been a consultant neonatal paediatrician in Newcastle since 1982. He was instrumental in bringing existing charity funds together under the care of the Community Foundation in 1994 and was chair of Tiny Lives from then until 2006. During this time he has been delighted to see Tiny Lives grow from an amateur attempt to raise money for equipment into a professional and highly successful organisation, which is now able to fund specialist staff and researchers from endowment income. He hopes to continue to contribute to the work of the fund for the next few years as a member of the committee. I am a staff nurse working on ward 35. I have been involved with Tiny Lives Committee for 9 years My specialist interest is in the area of Palliative Care. – Caring for both infants and families. Tiny Lives has enabled me to attend relevant study/courses reflected within this area. Tiny Lives also supports many of my colleagues to study within their chosen interest for example - Surgery and the neonate. Feeding Issues and Family support. Social Work Support There is a social worker available on the Special Care Baby unit, who can provide emotional and practical support whilst you are visiting your baby/babies. The social worker is also able to assist with any queries regarding benefits, travelling expenses, employment issues or difficulties with childcare. Or any other social issue you may need help with. Tiny Lives Staff
Andrea Atkinson - Tiny Lives Fundraising Manager Hi, my name is Andrea Atkinson I am the Fundraising Manager for Tiny Lives, my job is to raise money and the profile of Tiny Lives throughout the north east of England. Hi, my name is Louise Carroll and I am the Administrator for Tiny Lives. I have worked for Tiny Lives for over a year now. I have always been interested in the work Tiny Lives do and when the administration job became vacant I thought it would be a good career move and also to become part of a team that look after these special little babies that have their whole lives ahead of them. Before I started my administration job at Tiny Lives, I worked at the Community Foundation as a grants administrator for four years and before that I worked for North East Employment Training Agency as a receptionist and administrator for four and half years. I would say all administration jobs are different but being an administrator for Tiny Lives there’s so much variety that you never have two days the same. I get immense job satisfaction working for Tiny Lives. I love speaking to parents and family members who have had the help of the Special Care Baby Unit or Postnatal Unit at the R.V.I. and also speaking to people who just want to help whether helping parents put their story on the website or just speaking to people regarding fundraising. I also like attending the events we hold to raise money. Every year we have our biggest fundraising event the Black and White Party and then there’s the Christmas Reunion Party, which is fun to go to as you meet the children the unit has helped and see them enjoying themselves and meeting Santa. Tiny Lives Supporters Donated money, Donated time and effort, Volunteered or attended our events & Supported the Tiny Lives Fund. Also Thank you to....Our Tiny Lives Patrons, Committee Members, All the staff who work at the Neonatal Unit at the RVI. And a BIG thank you to you all for your generous help and support towards Tiny Lives, helping us to continue providing ''Extra Special Help, for Extra Special People'' |
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Tiny Lives uses every donation wisely, below are a number of different ways you can help support Special Care Babies. Fundraising It is the responsibility of the fund raiser to remain within the law and to help those who may be comtemplating a public activity, the following reminders have been prepared. Street collections (including fancy dress, busking etc) require a permit from the local council are covered by a number of strict regulations. Pub collections require permission not only from the landlord of the establishment but also from the brewery unless it is a free house. Pb to pub collections also require a house to house permit to be obtained from the local council. Children under 16 may not collect money in collecting boxes under any circumstance. Open tins or buckets are illegal, a closed container must always be used. We encourage the use of our own sealed official Tiny Lives containers. Raffles and lotteries must be registered with the local council unless they take place during an event such as a fete or dinner or any other 'exempt entertainment', with tickets sold on the not in advance, with no cash prizes and not more than £50.00 spent on prizes (but no limit on donated prizes). Tiny Lives lottery is registered. Insurance against theft (of money boxes etc) and against other disasters (depending on the fund raising activity) is strongly recommended as neither Tiny Lives nor the Community Foundation carry insurance on behalf of fund raisers and take no responsibility for their actions. Selling tickets or goods for an event on behalf of Tiny Lives, the fund raiser is now required to say exactly how much will be donated to Tiny Lives. If funding is undertaken by a commercial organisation a seperate agreement is required. Publicity for any events should state: If you are planning your own event to raise funds
for the Tiny lives appeal, then why not download our welcome
pack and event
registration forms.
We greatly value all contributions made and ensure that gifts today will be relevant for the future. If you would like to make a general donation
please select the link below to download a donation form. Download
Gift Aid form
You should always consult a solicitor about the exact wording but you can also contact us to discuss your plans.
Indeed, the Government increased benefits in the
2000 budget as part of a campaign to promote 'the caring society'.
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| In loving memory of Oscar Anderson Date added - 18th February 2010 Stuart and Helen Anderson recently had a premature baby at the Special Care Baby Unit RVI, Oscar sadly died after a 6 day fight. It is Stuart and Helen's intention to raise as much money for Tiny Lives as they can and to help them in their quest Medicals Rugby Club are holding a charity comedy night on Saturday 6th March 2010. The £20 entry fee guarantees a great night with a complimentary buffet and drinks. As a club they have decided to fund the cost of the comedians, food and booze therefore every penny paid on entry and over the bar during the night will be donated to Tiny Lives. Members and non-members are welcome and they are hoping to raise £1,000.00. You can pay on the door between 6pm – 6:30pm. If you would like more information regarding the night please visit If you cant attend the charity comedy night and would like to help raised money for the Special Care Baby Unit, RVI, in loving memory of brave Oscar please visit Stuart and Helen Anderson just giving page http://www.justgiving.com/StuartJBAnderson |
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| Toddler Week Date added - 07th January 2010 Tiny Lives Toddler Week, 8th March – 12th March 2010 Would you and your toddlers like to help and support the children of tomorrow, well you can. We are asking nurseries and toddler groups across the North East of England to help raise money for Tiny Lives, you can do this by organising a sponsored walk in the park or holding a fancy dress day. So why not gather everyone round and think of a great way to have fun while raising money for Tiny Lives. By doing this you will be helping save the lives of these special children that have their whole lives ahead of them. If you would like to get involved in toddler week please contact Louise Carroll for an event registration form on 0191 2220945. |
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| Christmas Reunion Party 2009 Date added - 12th December 2009 The Christmas Reunion Party gives parents a chance to meet other parents who have had a similar experience and also reunite with parents who they had become friendly whilst on the unit. It is also an opportunity to meet some of the nurses and doctors who took care of their special ones. But most importantly with over 200 children attending they had fun meeting Skippy the Tiny Lives Kangaroo, visiting Santa Claus while receiving a Christmas goody bag. We had a special appearance from Tyne Theatre Stage School of Dance who performed Grease in which they were phenomenal. Mr Twister was there showing the children his magic tricks, the children also had great fun on the bouncy castle and soft play area and after dinner the children took part in a Christmas quiz. A raffle was held for the parents with lots of great prizes including a box at The Journal Tyne Theatre to see Aladdin, a ground tour of St James Park, a signed framed print of The Stadium of Light with a Certificate of Authenticity and many other great prizes. We would like to say a BIG thank you all the volunteers who helped out with out them the day would not have not been such a great success. Also a BIG thank you to all the companies that donated a raffle prize and the other great gifts that were handed out on the day.
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| Thank you from Tiny Lives Date added - 24th September 2009 We would like to say a BIG thank you to all our runners in this years Great North Run. |
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| The Biggest Boy on the Ward Date added - 16th July 2009 The Biggest Boy on the Ward Our beautiful son Brodie was born as a full term baby at Wansbeck hospital on February 20th 2009. He weighed a healthy 7 lb 2 oz and although he had been born by emergency section and had a bit of a squashed nose and a bruised head he appeared to be a perfectly healthy baby.
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| The Miracle Work of the Special Care Baby Unit Date added - 10th February 2009 The Miracle Work of the Special Care Baby Unit In May 1995 my husband Bruce and I were delighted to discover that we were expecting our first baby due on or around 6 January 1996. More surprises were in store when in August 1995 at my first scan it was revealed that I was expecting twins!!! My pregnancy continued with no complications until at a routine appointment at the RVI in October 1995 I was found to have early signs of pre-eclampsia. I was admitted to hospital immediately and a few days later the doctors decided to induce me. On 29 October 1995, Beth Charlotte Nichol (2lbs 15 oz) and Rachael Catherine Nichol (3lbs 3oz) were born 10 weeks early by caesarean section. They were immediately whisked away to Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) where they stayed for the next 7 and half weeks. Initially the girls were admitted to the “Red” area (high dependency part). They were in incubators attached to various wires and tubes to monitor and feed them. Rachael needed to be ventilated so was on a ventilator for the first few days of her life and both girls needed help with jaundice. The staff on SCBU were very supportive and demonstrated to us how we could do the girls “daily cares” etc through the side doors on the incubators. They explained what all the equipment was for and how the various machines worked. Unfortunately it was found that the girls were suffering from septicaemia and needed a blood transfusion. We were allowed to watch as this was set up and the transformation in the girl’s appearance as this took place was amazing they gained so much colour! After a couple of weeks they were moved to the “Green” area which was much less daunting. They were allowed out of the incubators and put into cots with apnoea alarms attached to their bodies which I really relied on and didn’t want to remove even when they were no longer needed! Everything was more relaxed here not as much equipment or alarms sounding and we felt more in control of our own babies here. As a leaving date approached we were allowed to stay in a room available to parents near the SCBU where we could take the girls along to at night with the back up security that the nurses etc were just along the corridor should we need them (which occasionally we did!). This experience was invaluable and prepared us for when they would leave. Just before Christmas 1995 we were allowed to take the girls home. Whilst delighted at this we knew we were going to miss all the staff who had become friends to us. Beth and Rachael continued to put weight on etc. and often people couldn’t believe that they had been premature. Rachael needed a nebuliser for the first 2 years to help her breathing but by the age of two this was no longer required. When they were born I’d asked a doctor what would be the implications of them being born prematurely. He said that they may be prone to chest infections etc and may not be able to run very fast. Luckily other than the usual childhood ailments the girls have never ailed a thing. They are now healthy 13 year olds doing very well at High School and are extremely fit having competed in regional events such as Northumberland Schools Cross Country Championships, North East England Schools Trampoline competition and being Runners up in the North Tyneside Schools Tennis Doubles Event. They are both on the Gifted and Talented list for Physical Education! We are forever grateful to the Special Care Baby Unit and to all the staff and equipment which enabled Beth and Rachael to recover from their very early arrival. Of course we have had our worries but without SCBU things could have been so different. We are very keen supporters of Tiny Lives and will continue to be. We are also delighted that the girl’s school have chosen Tiny Lives as their nominated charity this year and aim to raise £10,000 through various events such as TV Quiz nights, Oliver Production etc. To anyone going through similar circumstances my advice would be to always have hope, be involved at the hospital as much as you can and listen to the advice the SCBU staff will no doubt give you. It is not an easy time but hopefully everything will work out so be as strong as you can be. Best wishes To see how Beth and Rachael have grown click here |
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| Tilly's Little Journey Date added - 27th November 2008 Tilly May Adamson
When you have a baby in special care, however early they are, you need some hope. We believe Tilly May’s story is full of hope. We had 7 amazing days with Tilly, she gave us unbridled joy. The doctors and nurses in the red area of the special care baby unit did everything medically and humanly possible to try and save her. She felt no pain and was treated with respect and dignity. We miss Tilly May every second of every day. Aimey and Peter Adamson Click here to see more of Tilly |
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| Tiny but perfect Date added - 27 November 2008 Ella’s Story Ella Marie Smith My waters broke in the middle of the night, without warning, when I was 24 weeks pregnant (I initially thought I needed to do more pelvic floor exercises!). I was kept in our local hospital, University Hospital of North Durham, then a week later was transferred via ambulance to the RVI when it was realised I was 3cm dilated, and Ella’s foot was in my cervix! Told by Vicky and Mark Smith, Ella’s proud parents x To see more of Ella please click here |
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| Callum's Story Date added - 23rd October 2008 Our son Callum was born at 29 weeks weighing just 3lb 10oz on 6th September 2005 at Newcastle RVI while we were on holiday from Scotland in Kielder Forest. On arrival at Newcastle RVI an emergency caesarean section was carried out as we were advised if Callum was not delivered within about 10 minutes he might not survive. We were told by the consultants that a placental abruption had occurred but we do not know if it was the rapid onset of preterm labour which forced the placenta away or if the placenta came away first bringing labour on. To see how much Callum has grown please click here |
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| Georgia's Brave Story Date added - 23rd October 2008 My name is Nicola and my partner is Daran. I had a fairly normal pregnancy apart from extreme morning sickness and everything seemed to be going quite well. On 19th Oct 2007 my waters broke at 4am. To be honest I thought the baby was lying on my bladder and had made me wee but after jumping in the shower I realised that my bump had deflated and Daran had already rung the hospital who told us to go straight in. Even when we arrived at the hospital I thought we would be told that all was OK and I would be going back to work, as I was only 26 weeks and 5 days pregnant. The baby was measured and checked and I was kept in for 2 days and told that I wouldn't be going back to work and the baby was likely to come sooner rather than later. I think I was still in denial because I was only 6 months pregnant and thought this couldn't really be happening. We were so happy but also terrified and desperate to know if she was going to make it. Georgia came off the ventilator after the first day and I was in a daze. I just used to go and sit and look at this tiny baby through the incubator willing her to be OK. The staff in SCBU were amazing and really gentle. They showed us how to help Georgia and do her cares, change her nappy, clean her face and how to handle her. Georgia was doing well, but wasn't gaining weight as quickly as they would have liked and had a huge swollen tummy. she was given x-rays and they showed nothing sinister so we just carried on watching her grow. After 4 weeks we were moved from the red area to the blue. She still had a huge tummy and had to have two courses of antibiotics for infections but she was doing fairly well. She also had to have two blood transfusions, and had to have quite a lot of blood taken for tests etc. Georgia was given medication and one of the doctors decided to try her on a dairy free milk instead of breast milk and overnight she changed. She started sleeping and her tummy went back to normal and we were allowed to go home. Two months later we were given the amazing news that Georgia was OK. We had been waiting for the results of the genetic test to confirm SDS but it had come back negative. Georgia had simply outgrown her symptoms and they retested her and everything was working OK. Georgia is now almost one and she is a joy. She has an allergy to milk that she will grow out of but apart from that she is a beautiful healthy baby who is developing well. We will never be able to thank the staff at the RVI enough for the love and care they showed to us as well as our daughter, they helped us through a truly awful time. Nicola, Daran & Georgia To see more of Georgia click here |
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| Josh Ryan's Story Date added - 10th October 2008 Josh Ryan Leader Born April 10th 2008 at 26 weeks and 3 days. Our story begins when I was 23 weeks pregnant and was told I had pre-eclampsia. At the time I didn’t realise what it was all about and the dangers that I faced - I was actually on holiday down in Cornwall. I spent the next couple of weeks in and out of hospital at Durham before being transferred to the RVI in Newcastle. I was told my baby would come sooner rather than later as I had too many complications. I managed to get to 26 weeks and 3 days before our baby boy was born by an emergency c-section on April the 10th 2008 at 14.31pm weighing 1lb 6oz. I only saw our son briefly as he was whisked away to special care (S.C.B.U) ward 35 in an incubator. I was told not to build my hopes up as our son was born so prematurely. When Josh made an appearance into the world we endured many ups and downs. Along the way we were also told that Josh’s duct near his heart wasn’t closing and medical treatment didn’t agree with him. The only option was to send him to the Freeman Hospital for an operation (PDA ligation) on Bank Holiday Monday 26th May 2008. This came as a complete shock but we were both prepared for this. At first I didn’t realise that this was a common operation but the staff explained it to us and I was quite happy to send him. He needed it doing as he couldn’t come off the ventilator. Josh had quite a few infections which delayed him from going for the operation. It took Josh a week to recover and be transferred to CPAP and then weaned to low flow oxygen. Along the way Josh had 5 blood and 1 platelet transfusions but finally after 100 days he was transferred to our local hospital where he spent another 18 days. On August the 6th 2008 (age 118 days) Josh finally came home. He is currently on oxygen and is doing well. As I’m writing this story Josh is nearly 6 months old and weighs 12lb 5oz. Without the doctors and nurses both at the RVI and Freeman our son wouldn’t have survived. Many Thanks Emma To see more of Josh click here |
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| Sam's Story our bright little boy Date added - 22nd August 2008 Sam's Story Sam was born 16 weeks early weighing 1lb 3oz. When I was 23 weeks and 6 days into the pregnancy my waters ruptured with no warning. We rushed straight to the RVI where we were warned that if the baby came now he would most likely not make it. Sam only managed to hang on a few more hours and was born in the early hours of October 18th 2005. After being stabilised he got to meet his dad quickly before being rushed to Ward 35, Special Care baby Unit. This was to be his home for the next 7 months. It seemed that almost every other day presented a new problem for Sam. We asked if we could take him home to die. The next day we came to the ward expecting it to be Sam's last. We were greeted with the news that Sam was a little better! Sam somehow managed to hang on for 3 days until his veins had recovered enough for the doctors to get a line back in and give him the medicine he needed. He had won his first major battle but there were many to come. Sam had an operation at the Freeman to close a duct in his heart. A few days later we became a proper family when his dad and I were married. But then a few days later it was discovered Sam had a defect in with one of the valves in his heart. By Christmas things were going well, Sam was weaned from CPAP onto low flow and it looked as if he was all set to move round to the blue area. Then out of the blue he starts to struggle and had to go back on the ventilator. He went back onto CPAP and started to have time off again at the beginning of January. He was then diagnosed with stage 3 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) which meant he had to go for laser eye surgery to prevent him going blind. In theatre they tried to intubate Sam and discovered that his airway was completely swollen shut, it was a miracle he was even breathing. Being intubated had caused scarring and swelling to occur (subglottic stenosis). They were left with no option other than to perform a tracheostomy.
Sam has suffered from intermittent bouts of tummy distension since he was quite small. His tummy was so big it was impacting on his breathing. So in April he had a laporoscopy to see if a cause could be found and hopefully remedied. They could find nothing but air so performed an ileostomy to help relieve the pressure. They also repaired his hernia and gave him an appendicectomy into the bargain!! In May Sam finally started to realise he wanted more than the four walls he was stuck in. He started to tolerate longer times off CPAP till eventually he started to tolerate being off throughout the day. He started on demand feeds and finally got rid of the NG tube!! After 7 months he finally moved out of Special Care and onto a children's ward. He had has his own room complete with TV and even a telephone!! He still needed the CPAP at night and still got a swollen tummy. He started to get to go out and about for short spells and even made it to Grandma's for Sunday lunch. Eventually, after 9 long months, Sam was strong enough to come home. Just days before coming home he finally managed to be weaned off CPAP completely and onto just oxygen. Once home Sam really started to thrive. After 18 months he grew out of the need for oxygen. He no longer has a tracheostomy nor an ileostomy. He is a happy, cheeky two year old. His development has been slightly delayed by his early arrival and all the medical problems but given time he will catch up with the other children his age. He is a very bright little boy. His Dad and I would like to express our heart felt gratitude to the staff of Ward 35. Without their care and dedication Sam would not be here. We owe them everything. I made a montage of Sam's Story – |
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| Jack's Story - our beautiful little miracle Date added - 26th June 2008
I arrived at the RVI at 3am on Friday 18 May, where I received another steroid injection. The following day I felt fine but my blood pressure was still too high. By Sunday I felt a little unwell after I had my breakfast. I put it down to the fresh orange juice but then the headache, stomach pains and sickness started. By teatime I felt OK again, so I told my husband to go home and get some clean clothes etc. He didn't leave until after 11 pm so the roads would be quiet. Within an hour of my husband Kevin leaving things started to go very wrong. I started with pre-eclampsia which then developed into HELLP syndrome (this is a condition that attacks your vital organs and your body goes into shut down mode). He was placed in a rosti bag and whisked to Ward 35 Neonatal Unit. Jack was unable to breathe for himself and needed to be put on a ventilator. On his first day a lovely lady called Joan Loveday looked after our beautiful boy. On a daily basis Jack had a team of dedicated consultants, doctors, nurses, family and friends to care for him and us. The teams give Jack the best support and care you can imagine and took time to explain and discuss things with us. For the first time we could finally see the road home. Jack has just celebrated his first birthday on 21 May 2008. He is a happy little man, full of smiles and a very cheeky character. We are so lucky! Every night myself and Kevin look at our little miracle asleep in his cot and thank the staff at the RVI for our perfect little family. We know that without them and Tiny Lives our story wouldn’t have had a happy ending. Thank you love Kevin, Antonia and our little miracle Jack x To see more of Jack - - click here |
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| Ella Louise Tully's Story Date added - 16th April 2008 STORY TOLD BY MUM WENDY JOHNSON (April 9th 2008) To see how much Ella has grown click here |
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| Jessica Lily's Story – Our Little Fighter Date added - 26th February 2008 Jessica Lily's Story – Our Little Fighter. This Story was written by ‘Mum’ Wendy Daglish. The first 5 months of my pregnancy went with no complications or concerns. Then a routine appointment with my midwife changed everything. She noticed that my blood pressure was unusually high for my stage of pregnancy and sent me straight to the Pregnancy Assessment Unit at the Wansbeck Hospital. My blood pressure was monitored every 20 minutes with no change, it was still high. That’s when we got the news that I was suffering pre-eclampsia a potentially life threatening condition for both myself and my unborn baby. During the next month I had frequent visits to the unit for blood and urine test’s, scans and medication. During this time I had one admission into hospital as my blood pressure became extremely high. During one of my scan at 25+6 weeks I could tell something was wrong the room went very quiet and they wanted a second opinion. The scan had revealed Jessica had stopped growing at 23-24 weeks and my placenta had stopped working effectively. Once again I was back up to the assessment unit where I was told that my baby would be coming much sooner than expected. After this news I rang my partner as he was at work and told him the situation and to come to the hospital. While I was waiting for him I had my mum at my side and my mind was racing, all I keep saying was its too early. While the midwife was on the phone to the RVI, I had my steroid injections to help develop my baby’s lungs. The next thing I know I was on my way to the RVI thinking that my baby was coming today. Once I arrived I was checked onto the assessment ward and monitored and settled down for the night. The next morning I was sent for another scan and the situation hadn’t changed my placenta still wasn’t working effectively. This carried on for a week. We managed to get Jessica to 27 weeks, which gave her a better chance of survival. Jessica’s birth wasn’t how I had planned it and ended up being an emergency c-section, when I went into liver and kidney failure due to my pre-eclampsia. Jessica’s was born at 27+1 week gestation (3 months premature) weighing only 675g, which is 1lb 7oz. She came out kicking and screaming, which is always a good sign. She was rushed off to the SCBU where she was put onto a ventilator as she was unable to breathe on her own. She was diagnosed with Chronic Lung Disease. Within 2 days she had dropped her weight to 1lb 5oz. We were terrified and shocked and just so worried about are little girl. We didn’t know whether she would be able to survive, she was so small and fragile. However the wonderful staff on the unit gave Jessica all the help and support she needed 24 hours a day. When Jessica was 26 days old and weighing less than a kilo we were told that she needed a heart operation to close a duct. If it hadn’t of been for the staff I’m not sure we would have got through this difficult time. Jessica had many more ups and downs whilst on the unit. It took 8 weeks to get her off her ventilator and a further 4 weeks on CPAP before she could breathe with just low flow oxygen. In total Jessica spent 100 days on the unit and came home on oxygen, weighing 5lb 7oz in March 2007. Jessica is now a happy and playful 14 month old little girl who wants to be into everything. Jessica still has a few problems but is getting bigger and better all the time. No matter what is thrown at her she fights with all her might. She is our little fighter and we are eternally greatful to all the dedicated staff on ward 35 for all the care and attention they gave our little girl. It has been a pleasure to help Ting Lives and share our story and show our appreciation for all the dedicated staff for saving Jessica and looking after her mummy and daddy as well.
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| Daryl's Story Date added - 05th February 2008 Daryl’s Story, told by her proud mum Diane Davison
I found this very hard to understand, as I felt completely fine within myself. Daily antenatal soon revealed that although I was 27 weeks pregnant by this time, Daryl was only the size of a 23 week fetus and the blood flow was sometimes absent from the umbilical cord to her. While I was on the ward I received two doses of steroids to help Daryl’s lungs and organs to develop. On the 28th September 2007 my daily scan revealed Daryl had stopped breathing and my health was deteriorating. Daryl had to be delivered by emergency caesarean within the hour. Daryl was born at 8:28pm a mere 540 grams. I was relieved to hear her let out a little cry as she was brought into the world. The paediatricians were fantastic and got to work immediately. Daryl was intubated within two minutes and put on ventilation. She was taken straight to the red area, special care baby unit. Daryl was only ventilated for around six hours before she was transformed to CPAP, which meant she was strong enough to receive less help for her breathing. Daryl’s weigh dropped at first and at one point only weighed 480g. By day four Daryl was feeding through a tube and was going from strength to strength. We fell back a few times and she had good days and bad days, as did her mam and dad. It felt like it was two steps forward and one step back, but she was strong and for every bad day there was a good day. As Daryl progressed to the blue area we began to see a real change in her appearance as she grew bigger every day. We stayed in the blue area for a few weeks until she began to breathe on her own without the help of the CPAP, but still required low flow oxygen. Next stop was the green area where Daryl blossomed and we knew our little girl was going to make it. Daryl required 4 blood transfusions, as she wasn’t producing her own red cells. She also had a complication with her thyroid, which needs daily medicine. On News Years Eve (31.12.07) Daryl was able to come home weighing 6lb3oz. She still needed her oxygen at home, but she was home. Daryl’s dad and I can’t thank all the doctors and nurses at the R.V.I. enough for helping our baby survive. They are all fantastic and their care is nothing less than first class. Daryl continues to thrive and should be free of her oxygen by the summer. To see more photo's of Daryl click here |
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| Joseph's Story Date added - 08th January 2008 Joseph was born three months premature, seconds after he was born weighing just 2lbs, Joseph was rushed to the Special Care Baby Unit where he was put on a ventilator, diagnosed with lung disease and bleeding in the brain. We were terrified and shocked and just so worried about are little boy. We didn’t know whether he would be able to survive, arriving so soon. The staff on the unit gave Joseph all the help he needed and also supported us through those first few harrowing weeks and even at three weeks when Joseph went through an operation to close a duct in his heart the staff was there for all of us. Joseph is approaching his 4th birthday, which was a age we did not think we would reach, had it not been for the help and dedication of the Staff on ward 35 It has been a pleasure to help the Tiny Lives fund as it goes to show our appreciation of the hardworking and dedicated staff for saving Joseph and that you never know when you may find yourself in the same situation. |
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