Gifting Joy to Families with Very ill Newborns

Hi, my name is Kristie, and I have pledged to donate 1,000 books to Perth Childrens, Fiona Stanley and King Edward Memorial Hospitals BUT NEED YOUR HELP to make it last even longer than the projected 2-3 months!

Having listened to, seen and been a part of close friends' experiences within the NICU and Special Care wards for newborn babies, it came to my attention that new families entering the wards weren't being gifted a book or way of reading to their babies. Nor were they being encouraged to do so thanks to Covid and the lack of staff having time to share the idea with families when they join the ward. In these deep dark moments in your experience as a parent, we need to be letting the parents of the children know about the benefits of reading to them during their stay (read on below towards the end to understand the benefits).

As such, my donation, valued at $10,000, will last approximately 2-3 months between the three wards they are being shared between. It is now my goal to fund a permanent mini library on each ward with books available to share between families during their stay that stay on the ward. Beyond that, every donation of $10 above my minimum goal of $1,000 for the libraries will then go to gifted "to keep" books to families beyond the 1,000 books I have already purchased.

The message delivered to each family within the book they receive will read as follows:

Inspired by the experiences of those who have walked your steps before- Winnie, Esther and Lola. This book was donated in honour of all the amazing Nurses with a special mention going to the Fairy godmother of Nurses, Elisha. May this book bring as much joy to you and your baby as they did to my little ones, Halli & Archer

PTO

Read me, over and over, when the days feel long. When you can’t feed or hold your baby, you can always sit and read to them. Your baby can hear your familiar, loving voice and this will help you both to bond during this challenging experience.

The stories gifted to you are magical and dream worthy, read them aloud, don’t be embarrassed. Allow your own mind to wonder, just for a second, to a place where the sun kisses your skin and the wind blows past your cheeks, where you and your baby are skin to skin again.

Talk to your nurse about the benefits of reading to your baby, its not just good for the soul but amazing in helping your babies grow stronger. Also, consider sharing and swapping your own books with the other parents during your stay- it’s a great way to connect with others on your journey.

Each donation of $10 will: Buy 1 Board Book to gift to a new family who face challenges in skin to skin bonding and huge medical hurdles to come