Donation of milk station to Basildon Hospital to save nurses time and get parents involved in premature babies' care
Danielle and Chris Batley made the £9,450 donation to the neonatal unit
Babies born prematurely in Basildon Hospital that need specialist care will now benefit from a £9,450 donation by a couple whose baby was born 13 weeks early.
Danielle and Chris Batley have funded a new milk kitchen in the neonatal unit, where parents can now prepare babies' feeds themselves, saving NHS nurses valuable time.
The couple from Horndon-on-the-Hill spent ten weeks on the neonatal unit last Summer when their daughter Iris was born prematurely.
They said they struggled with not having the independence to clean and sterilise the equipment needed to express milk, or prepare the bottles, while at the unit with Iris.
The new preparation area means parents and carers can sterilise their own equipment in a safe environment without having to ask the nurses.
Danielle said she hopes that the new milk kitchen can save nurses time:
"You see how much work they do and they were having to go and and sterilise bottles and sterilise your pumping equipment rather than looking after the babies. And it was just a complete waste of time when actually that's something we could do ourselves and be a part of the care.
"All I do is praise Basildon, the nurses, the doctors, the people on the ward, the cleaners. It was incredible. They are actually some of the best people I've ever met.
"Iris got more specialists than I've ever known possible, and I would say we're very lucky to have the NHS."
Lucy Lisle, Senior Neonatal unit Sister, said: “It can be incredibly hard for parents on our unit; on top of the worry and exhaustion of having an unwell baby, they often feel less involved in their newborn’s care than they’d hoped.
“Having the chance to prepare their baby’s bottles and sterilise pumps and bottles themselves will mean so much to them.”
Iris, now seven months old, needed oxygen support until recently but is now thriving.
She made a very welcome return to the unit to help her mum and dad hand over the cheque. The money was raised by a combination of a charity golf day, which raised £5,000, and an open day at their Essex-based flower farm.