Friday, 2 March 2012

Bliss - Support and Help Premature and Sick Babies

Please watch this first.

The track playing is Wires by Athlete, a song that means the world to families like ours.

A lot of you who read this blog of mine will have first hand knowledge of the work Bliss do. Bliss essentially play three important roles.

Firstly, they campaign on behalf of these tiny and poorly babies to ensure they get the resources they deserve. At the moment, a neonate cannot expect to get the same standard of care and older child or an adult receives. There is a shortage of specialist nurses, and units are running at 100% capacity. This inevitably leads to the heartbreaking transfer of babies. This must change. Unless you know someone who this has happened to, you have no idea how heartwrenching it is. Imagine going to hospital, discovering that discharge is your waters, your having your baby today at 26 weeks, but there's no time and no room. Your baby is transferred 100 miles away. You can't go with your baby there is no room for you. And this happens. Every single day.

Secondly, Bliss provide invaluable support for parents who have had a baby who has been born too soon, too small, too sick. When your baby is born and goes straight to neonatal, its terrifying. A universal feeling is that you are the only person in the world going through this. Bliss helps in very practical ways, and I would not be the mother I am without the support I have received from Bliss. I have utilised their helpline, their parents 4 parents volunteer, and their message board. I am now in the position where I volunteer, helping others.

Finally, Bliss supports research into treatments for premature babies, and supports research into support for families. Research is key to continuous improvements in care and outcomes for these tiny little patients. Without Bliss the life of a premature baby and their parents would be very different indeed.

Please take the time to watch this video and get an insight into the work of Bliss.

Please donate, become a regular contributor, give a one off donation or subscribe to Little Bliss Magazine. There are loads of ways you can help.

1 comment:

  1. The transfer system is shocking. It just has to change. Smidge's already vulnerable life was twice put at further risk due to bed space shortages, thank goodness for charities like bliss who are actively addressing these issues... :)

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