This Xmas the Good Penguin is raising money for The Forever Friends Appeal – the official NHS charity for the Royal United Hospital (RUH) in Bath. The money we raise will go to the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) to provide state-of-the-art treatment, diagnostic equipment, and to support families at one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
Karlie Evans, an Events & Community Officer at the Royal United Hospital tells us, “1 in 10 babies are born too small, too sick or too soon and therefore need additional care. The Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care provides this to around 300 babies every year. These babies, who can weigh less than a bag of sugar and fit in the palm of your hand, need everything that modern technology can offer.
This very Centre was 50% funded by The Forever Friends Appeal, from charitable support as part of the NICU ‘space to grow’ Campaign and provides these premature babies with the best possible start in life! The centre has brought Bath and its surrounding areas, the first environmentally sustainable building of its kind in Europe. The building has exceeded our expectations and has truly up-graded the RUH’s ‘holistic’ care. The light, airy and calm surroundings have had an impact on babies, parents and staff. Stress levels are reduced, the babies appear less agitated and parents are able to spend time with them in this spacious, healing environment; allowing for the proper use of nurturing ‘developmental care’ techniques.
Charitable donations, like yours, will continue to provide state-of-the-art treatment and diagnostic equipment that helps staff deliver the best possible care on the ward.”
This year the Good Penguin has made a contribution to the charity through our JustGiving page and we’re encouraging others, like yourself, to support us by making a contribution this Xmas.