<div>Hi, my name is Hayley and I'm raising funds for two incredible Neonatal units who saved our daughters life when she was born at just 22 + 4 weeks old. My husband has organised a Charity Golf Day in October, but we appreciate not everyone plays golf so wanted to launch this page for anyone who would like to donate to the cause.
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<div>After years of heartbreak and pregnancy losses, my husband Craig and I were overjoyed when we learned we were expecting our daughter, Darcie. She was our sixth pregnancy, and after everything we had been through, we desperately hoped this would be our happy ending.
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<div>The pregnancy was far from straightforward. I experienced complications throughout, including a subchorionic haematoma, regular bleeding, and rising blood pressure. Despite the challenges, we remained hopeful and looked forward to meeting our little girl at the end of December.
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<div>Everything changed on 20th August when I attended a routine appointment at Bournemouth Hospital. Tests revealed that my waters were leaking at just 21 weeks and 6 days pregnant. Because Bournemouth is a Level 2 neonatal unit, our baby would need specialist care only available in a Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
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<div>What we didn't realise was that there were no specialist cots available anywhere nearby. Southampton, Portsmouth, Bristol, Oxford and Plymouth were all full. After hours of uncertainty, we were told a bed was available at Medway Hospital in Kent, more than 150 miles from home. I had never heard of the hospital and had no experience of neonatal care. The thought of being transferred so far away from my family and support network was overwhelming.
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<div>The plan was to stay in Kent until I was 28 weeks and then return to Bournemouth. Just a few days after arriving in Kent, I went into labour. Doctors initially managed to stop it, but an infection that neither we nor the medical team knew about was rapidly making me unwell. As my condition deteriorated, the decision was made to perform an emergency caesarean section.
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<div>I was 22 weeks and 4 days pregnant.
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<div>We had already spoken with neonatal teams about the statistics and possible outcomes for babies born so early, but nothing can truly prepare you for hearing those conversations about your own child. The reality was impossible to process.
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<div>At 11.59pm on 25 August, Darcie Rose was born weighing just 480 grams, a little over 1lb.
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<div>The days that followed were the hardest of our lives.
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<div>Both Darcie and I were fighting serious infections. Darcie was critically ill, and we were told that every hour she survived was a huge milestone. At the same time, I too was recovering from sepsis and remained an inpatient for some time.
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<div>During those first weeks, Craig became both mum and dad. He spent every possible moment by Darcie's incubator, learning everything he could about her care. He built a bond with our daughter when I was too unwell, and at times too frightened, to allow myself to imagine a future. When everything felt as though it was falling apart, he was the strength that held us together.
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<div>The staff at Medway's Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit showed incredible compassion and patience during those frightening first weeks. Their expertise gave Darcie the chance she desperately needed.
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<div>We were eventually told there was a cot available closer to home at Southampton's Princess Anne Hospital. However, Darcie became too unwell to travel, and the transfer had to be delayed. Waiting was incredibly difficult. I was desperately homesick and longed to be closer to family, but we also knew Darcie was exactly where she needed to be.
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<div>When she was finally strong enough, she was transferred by air ambulance to Southampton. Watching her leave without me and saying goodbye was one of the hardest moments of my life. My own health was still recovering, and I could only follow her journey through a tracking app, praying she would arrive safely. The relief I felt when I received the call to say she was stable and sleeping peacefully in Southampton is impossible to put into words. I was still over an hour away and couldn't get there quickly enough.
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<div>Two weeks later, Darcie was transferred once more, this time by ambulance to Bournemouth Hospital. For the first time, I was able to travel with her. It felt like the final step on our long journey home.
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<div>The team in Bournemouth helped me rebuild my confidence as a mum. Their patience, kindness and understanding allowed me to slowly let go of the fear that had consumed me and begin to truly bond with Darcie. After weeks of being afraid to touch or hold her because she seemed so fragile, I finally started to enjoy being her mum.
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<div>Our NICU journey lasted almost four months. There were highs and lows, setbacks and victories. Someone once described neonatal care as a game of snakes and ladders, and that felt exactly right. Just when you think you're moving forward, something can suddenly pull you back again.
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<div>Finally, on 19th December, Darcie came home.
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<div>Today, as we approach her first birthday, she is thriving. She no longer needs oxygen, she is growing beautifully, and she fills our lives with joy every single day. We never take a single moment for granted.
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<div>We will never forget the hospitals, healthcare professionals and specialist transport teams who helped save our daughter's life. Being cared for so far from home was one of the greatest challenges we have ever faced, but without those services, Darcie might not be here today.
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<div>That is why we are fundraising to support the neonatal units that cared for our family. No amount of money could ever fully repay what they gave us, but we hope that by giving back, we can help future babies and parents facing their own NICU journey.
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<div>"For every family currently facing life on a neonatal unit, we hope our story offers a little hope. The journey can be unimaginably difficult, but you are not alone."
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Mervin Powell

caroline tuck

Deena Tiller

Scott Butchart

Stephen Delaiche

Help us support the Neonatal units that saved our daughter

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Help us support the Neonatal units that saved our daughter

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