Little Jack Sparrow
Donation protected
**update** It is with great sadness, but also great happiness for having known him, that I share that Little Jack Riley Sadgrove (Jack Sparrow) grew a tiny pair of wings yesterday, 3rd March. He passed away peacefully on his mummy's chest and with his Daddy by his side. Jack, his parents, and a team of doctors and nurses gave it their absolute all, but it wasn't to be.
We will continue to build donations via this page, in honour of our little Sparrow, and in support of all of the sparrows still fighting in the NICU.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/video/watch/34575219/amy-and-brendan-sadgrove-donate-funds-to-royal-hospital-for-women-after-infant-son-s-death/
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It takes a village to raise a child.
This page was originally set up to support my nephew, Jack Sadgrove (aka Jack Sparrow) who made a surprise entry into the world at just 24 weeks and 693g (for more of Jack's story, scroll down).
But since then, our village has grown, and this page is now one in honour of all of the sparrows in the nest at the Royal Hospital for Women's NICU.
Right now, that's Jack, Zoey, Willow, Noah, Lotani, Zoe, Aliza, and Bronte & Jasmine and many many more ... of course there have also been many babies before them, and there will be many more to come. In fact, more than 600 babies each and every year spend time in the NICU of the RHW alone.
The incredible strength and resilience Jack and his parents have shown, and that all of the babies in the NICU and their parents live and breathe each and every day, has inspired an entire community - of friends, family, and even strangers - to band together as a village and offer their help.
During the first days following Jack's birth, Jack's Dad, Brendan spoke with the nurses who mentioned how desperately funds are needed for simple things like cushions for the parents' room, and blankets for the humidicribs, as well as for lifesaving medical equipment.
Jack's parents, and many of the other parents in the NICU, are adamant that the best way to help, is to donate to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Royal Hospital for Women, where Jack and all of his little sparrow friends will stay as they grow bigger and stronger.
So far, the village (that's you and me and everyone who has sent good thoughts, prayers or donations) have raised enough money to completely fit-out the NICU with state of the art breastfeeding chairs (of which there was previously only one available), money has been put towards new breathing equipment, and now we are moving on to raising funds to do a refurb of the parents' room.
Any amount can help.
Donations of $29 can go towards much needed blankets for the babies
Donations of $52 can keep a baby breathing on a ventilator for 30 minutes.
$249 can help fund equipment to treat the bubs and keep them alive while they grow.
Let's make the sparrows' tough times our problem too and channel our positivity and good vibes. All money raised here will be pooled as a single donation to the NICU in the name of Little Jack Sparrow and all his little sparrow mates.
Donations of all sizes welcome and appreciated.
Lots of love xxx
JACK'S STORY (written by Jack's Dad, Brendan)
Friends and Family,
I want to start by saying that everything is ok and this story is a happy one.
I would like to welcome into the world our new son Jack Riley Sadgrove, born 21st January way too early. Jack decided to skip the third trimester and come into this world at 24 weeks and 5 days, over 15 weeks premature.
For no apparent reason, Amy went into labour in the middle of the night, without really knowing. A little bit of blood when she went to the bathroom was the only indication that something was not right. We went up to the hospital and as soon as the doctor examined her, I knew something was very wrong from the look on her face. She looked up at me and said, “I’m so sorry, but you are 6cm dilated and you are going to have your baby tonight”. In that moment, our lives changed direction. In the next few hours there were dozens of doctors that came and explained to us the very scary statistics of not only the chances of our babies’ survival, but the very real chances of many many different problems that our baby will face. 24 weeks is the earliest that they suggest that they can deliver a baby. We were 24 weeks that very day. One of the first questions the doctors asked us was, “would you like to keep this baby, or would you like us to terminate”. We didn’t even understand the question.
After all of that, the doctors told us that what we need to do now is stay calm, and keep the baby in for as long as possible. That seemed like an impossible task.
We had a good cry, and then got to work. Amy in all of her amazingness guided us both through a change in mindset. Drawing on all of her Yoga and meditation practice and very strong heart and mind, she calmed us both down and set one job for us. Not to think one second into the future, not worry about what could be, but concentrate on being in the present. Our new job was to keep this baby in and nothing else.
For the next 5 days, Amy was in a state of calm like I have never seen before. We were settled in for the long haul.
But that wasn’t to be. An ultrasound showed that the baby had turned and the cord was below the baby. They told us that if Amy’s waters broke, that it would be a dangerous delivery for the baby. If it happened in the middle of the night with minimal staff and not the right doctors around, the outlook would not be good. So they insisted they do a Caesarean as soon as they could get set-up so they could deliver the bub in a safe and controlled way. It was another big blow to deal with, but we readjusted our thinking and concentrated on our new job.
The 5 days that Amy kept the bub inside proved to make an enormous difference. 2 courses of steroids and magnesium give the lungs and brain a super boost of growth to the bub. It can often mean the difference of life and death and on paper they say gave bub an extra 10% chance.
So that afternoon at 4:27pm little Jack Riley Sadgrove came into the outside world in a very controlled and calm environment. Not so much for Amy, but bub came out and started his life in the best possible way for a 24 week 5 day gestation.
Jack is 15 days old now and doing really well. He has had his ups and downs, but that is very much expected. It is going to be a long and bumpy road, but we have again readjusted, and got our new jobs sorted.
You really never know what direction your life is going to change to, but one of the best lessons I have learnt is not to hold on to what you life was, but go with the new direction and do the absolute best you can with it. We wouldn't wish this on anyone, but the journey so far had been nothing short of incredible. The magic we have seen along the way, the things we have learnt, and the love that we have felt has been just amazing.
I know you lot are a pretty magnificent bunch, and I know that you will want to help out in any way you can. We honestly have things pretty well sorted for now, and our close family and friends are doing everything we could possibly want. The best thing that I could ask you to do, is help out with a donation to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at RHW. They need help. Day in day out we see how much help they really need first hand. The doctors and nurses are constantly juggling vital machines between babies, and they are desperately in need of simple things like chairs for the parents and nurses. The nurses do 12 hour shifts and we don't do much less, so when you can't find a chair to sit on, the days get that much harder.
Our sister in law Tessa, has started a Go Fund Me page so that we can all donate in honour of little Jack. All of the money will go directly to the NICU fund and be used immediately to buy new nursing chairs for mums to feed their babies which cost $2500 each. I have spoken to the nurses and that is the thing they need the most.
I really encourage you to donate whatever you can. It doesn't have to be much, just a gesture to help is all we ask. Our close family and friends have kicked off the fundraising with a whopping $5200 already. Lets see what we can get to to help these amazing people care for such precious little humans.
https://www.gofundme.com/little-jack-sparrow
We will continue to build donations via this page, in honour of our little Sparrow, and in support of all of the sparrows still fighting in the NICU.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/video/watch/34575219/amy-and-brendan-sadgrove-donate-funds-to-royal-hospital-for-women-after-infant-son-s-death/
------------------------------------------------------
It takes a village to raise a child.
This page was originally set up to support my nephew, Jack Sadgrove (aka Jack Sparrow) who made a surprise entry into the world at just 24 weeks and 693g (for more of Jack's story, scroll down).
But since then, our village has grown, and this page is now one in honour of all of the sparrows in the nest at the Royal Hospital for Women's NICU.
Right now, that's Jack, Zoey, Willow, Noah, Lotani, Zoe, Aliza, and Bronte & Jasmine and many many more ... of course there have also been many babies before them, and there will be many more to come. In fact, more than 600 babies each and every year spend time in the NICU of the RHW alone.
The incredible strength and resilience Jack and his parents have shown, and that all of the babies in the NICU and their parents live and breathe each and every day, has inspired an entire community - of friends, family, and even strangers - to band together as a village and offer their help.
During the first days following Jack's birth, Jack's Dad, Brendan spoke with the nurses who mentioned how desperately funds are needed for simple things like cushions for the parents' room, and blankets for the humidicribs, as well as for lifesaving medical equipment.
Jack's parents, and many of the other parents in the NICU, are adamant that the best way to help, is to donate to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Royal Hospital for Women, where Jack and all of his little sparrow friends will stay as they grow bigger and stronger.
So far, the village (that's you and me and everyone who has sent good thoughts, prayers or donations) have raised enough money to completely fit-out the NICU with state of the art breastfeeding chairs (of which there was previously only one available), money has been put towards new breathing equipment, and now we are moving on to raising funds to do a refurb of the parents' room.
Any amount can help.
Donations of $29 can go towards much needed blankets for the babies
Donations of $52 can keep a baby breathing on a ventilator for 30 minutes.
$249 can help fund equipment to treat the bubs and keep them alive while they grow.
Let's make the sparrows' tough times our problem too and channel our positivity and good vibes. All money raised here will be pooled as a single donation to the NICU in the name of Little Jack Sparrow and all his little sparrow mates.
Donations of all sizes welcome and appreciated.
Lots of love xxx
JACK'S STORY (written by Jack's Dad, Brendan)
Friends and Family,
I want to start by saying that everything is ok and this story is a happy one.
I would like to welcome into the world our new son Jack Riley Sadgrove, born 21st January way too early. Jack decided to skip the third trimester and come into this world at 24 weeks and 5 days, over 15 weeks premature.
For no apparent reason, Amy went into labour in the middle of the night, without really knowing. A little bit of blood when she went to the bathroom was the only indication that something was not right. We went up to the hospital and as soon as the doctor examined her, I knew something was very wrong from the look on her face. She looked up at me and said, “I’m so sorry, but you are 6cm dilated and you are going to have your baby tonight”. In that moment, our lives changed direction. In the next few hours there were dozens of doctors that came and explained to us the very scary statistics of not only the chances of our babies’ survival, but the very real chances of many many different problems that our baby will face. 24 weeks is the earliest that they suggest that they can deliver a baby. We were 24 weeks that very day. One of the first questions the doctors asked us was, “would you like to keep this baby, or would you like us to terminate”. We didn’t even understand the question.
After all of that, the doctors told us that what we need to do now is stay calm, and keep the baby in for as long as possible. That seemed like an impossible task.
We had a good cry, and then got to work. Amy in all of her amazingness guided us both through a change in mindset. Drawing on all of her Yoga and meditation practice and very strong heart and mind, she calmed us both down and set one job for us. Not to think one second into the future, not worry about what could be, but concentrate on being in the present. Our new job was to keep this baby in and nothing else.
For the next 5 days, Amy was in a state of calm like I have never seen before. We were settled in for the long haul.
But that wasn’t to be. An ultrasound showed that the baby had turned and the cord was below the baby. They told us that if Amy’s waters broke, that it would be a dangerous delivery for the baby. If it happened in the middle of the night with minimal staff and not the right doctors around, the outlook would not be good. So they insisted they do a Caesarean as soon as they could get set-up so they could deliver the bub in a safe and controlled way. It was another big blow to deal with, but we readjusted our thinking and concentrated on our new job.
The 5 days that Amy kept the bub inside proved to make an enormous difference. 2 courses of steroids and magnesium give the lungs and brain a super boost of growth to the bub. It can often mean the difference of life and death and on paper they say gave bub an extra 10% chance.
So that afternoon at 4:27pm little Jack Riley Sadgrove came into the outside world in a very controlled and calm environment. Not so much for Amy, but bub came out and started his life in the best possible way for a 24 week 5 day gestation.
Jack is 15 days old now and doing really well. He has had his ups and downs, but that is very much expected. It is going to be a long and bumpy road, but we have again readjusted, and got our new jobs sorted.
You really never know what direction your life is going to change to, but one of the best lessons I have learnt is not to hold on to what you life was, but go with the new direction and do the absolute best you can with it. We wouldn't wish this on anyone, but the journey so far had been nothing short of incredible. The magic we have seen along the way, the things we have learnt, and the love that we have felt has been just amazing.
I know you lot are a pretty magnificent bunch, and I know that you will want to help out in any way you can. We honestly have things pretty well sorted for now, and our close family and friends are doing everything we could possibly want. The best thing that I could ask you to do, is help out with a donation to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at RHW. They need help. Day in day out we see how much help they really need first hand. The doctors and nurses are constantly juggling vital machines between babies, and they are desperately in need of simple things like chairs for the parents and nurses. The nurses do 12 hour shifts and we don't do much less, so when you can't find a chair to sit on, the days get that much harder.
Our sister in law Tessa, has started a Go Fund Me page so that we can all donate in honour of little Jack. All of the money will go directly to the NICU fund and be used immediately to buy new nursing chairs for mums to feed their babies which cost $2500 each. I have spoken to the nurses and that is the thing they need the most.
I really encourage you to donate whatever you can. It doesn't have to be much, just a gesture to help is all we ask. Our close family and friends have kicked off the fundraising with a whopping $5200 already. Lets see what we can get to to help these amazing people care for such precious little humans.
https://www.gofundme.com/little-jack-sparrow
Organizer
Tessa Piper
Organizer
Yarraville VIC
