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What We Do

We offer a safety net for parents who have entered a world completely out of their control. Having a baby that is born prematurely or sick can be a truly world-shaking experience, but we can help you through it.

We supply items, funds, staff specialists and support to the RVI Neonatal Unit in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, helping to make the Neonatal experience a little easier and more comfortable for parents, babies, siblings and family. Once you become part of our Neonatal family, you have our support – forever.

We’re an independent charity, so all of our funds are raised by our generous supporters, we receive no government funding. We need to raise £350,000 a year to maintain our services.

You can find more information about our funded items and services below. The list is constantly growing, and we are always open to suggestions from parents and supporters as to how we can help even further.

What We Fund

From Miniboo Comforters to Specialised Parent and Baby Classes, this is what we do to help at each stage of your Neonatal Journey.

Upon Admission

We get it. When you’re admitted to the RVI Neonatal Unit you might be overwhelmed, but we are always there to help.
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On the Ward

Whether you’re on Ward 35 for hours, days or months, Tiny Lives offers a range of support to help you and your baby.
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Discharge and Beyond

Your Tiny Lives support doesn’t end once your hospital stay does. We’re here to support you in this exciting next step.
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Bereavement Support

Tragically, some babies don’t make it home. If you’ve lost a little one, we are here for you. Find Out More

Tiny Lives Funded Staff Posts

Tiny Lives works with external partners, including the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust and Newcastle Council, to fund or part-fund specialist staff positions on the RVI Neonatal Unit. This ensures that babies and families on the Unit can receive an extra-special level of care and support.

Our current funded or part-funded staff posts include:

A Clinical Psychologist
A Family Support Social Worker
Allied Health Professionals, including:
A Dietitian
Neonatal Physiotherapists
Occupational Therapists

We support Neonatal Unit Staff

It’s not just the families who benefit from the support offered by Tiny Lives. Neonatal Unit staff can also apply for funding for a variety of uses, including: funds for specialised training courses, travel and accomodation for courses, specific materials that may help their department (such as craft materials or books) or aid with a support group.

Access to these additional resources helps to ensure the best posssible care for neonatal babies and families.

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We Fund Research

We also fund a lot of ‘behind-the-scenes’ items and vital research projects to help improve future Neonatal care. These can be ground-breaking lung studies, trial runs of specialist Unit positions or aiding with awareness day events to highlight the vital role of the Neonatal Unit.

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Recently Funded Projects

These are a small section of recent projects that Tiny Lives has funded or helped to fund. Swipe through to find out more!

COVID-19 Emergency Support

As the world stopped, we were still working to support vulnerable babies and their families on the RVI Neonatal Unit. Since March 2020, we have:

-Made 111 financial assistance payments – totalling over £3,700 – directly to Ward 35 families most in need.

-Facilitated over 80 online Meet, Chat, Learn parent and baby classes.

-Supplied 8 families with emergency accommodation, helping them to stay close to their baby.

-Provided 3 additional iPads for the vCreate service on Ward 35, helping to facilitate video messaging contact to help keep parents and babies connected when they couldn’t be together.
Parent Packs

After a successful trial on the Unit, we now fund Parent Packs for parents upon admission to the Unit. Each family receives one pack, which is full of useful bits and pieces to help make the initial transition to the Neonatal Unit a little easier, including:

– 2 Reusable Coffee Cups

– A ‘Tiny Lives, Big Memories’ memory book

– Hand cream, lip balm and tissues

– A notebook and pen
vCreate Video Messaging

We fund the innovative vCreate Video Messaging service on the Neonatal Unit, which allows for staff to share videos of babies with their parents, allowing them to bond even when they can’t physically be together and helping to alleviate separation anxiety. We also supplied Ipads and accessories to the Unit to facilitate this system.
Breast Feeding Room Refurbishment

We partially-funded the refurbishment of the Breast Feeding Room on Ward 35, in partnership with a donation from a local business. The room is a cosy, friendly space for Mams to express and receive advice on feeding.