Wearing Green Paves The Way In Donations To Mater's Little Premmies

May 30, 2014 - PRLog -- The ‘Wear Green for Premmies’ campaign is a day where thousands of people wear green to show their support of the 25,000 babies born prematurely in Australia each year. Part of the proceeds from last year’s event was used to purchase and donate equipment to 2 Special Care Nurseries and 2 Neonatal Intensive Care Units. This year, the Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) at Mater Mothers’ Hospitals in Queensland is one of the four hospitals chosen as recipients of these annual donations. The charity has received ‘wish lists’ from each of the four nurseries to help assist the charity in purchasing equipment relevant to the needs of each hospital.

In May, L’il Aussie Prems Foundation kindly donated 2 Portable DVD players and DVD movies to Mater’s NCCU. This donation will help assist parents and families who visit their baby in NCCU with siblings and enable the staff to use the portable DVD players for training purposes when required.

L’il Aussie Prems Foundation’s Community Liasion Manager, Nicole Smeelie said “As the parent of a toddler and a baby who spent time in a NCCU, it was difficult to spend quality time with my daughter as my son required constant stimulation. If he was given the option to watch a movie during these visits, it would have made a significant difference to my experience when visiting my daughter.”

Mater Director of Women’s Health Services Maree Reynolds said Mater was delighted to receive the donation.

“This donation from L’il Aussie Prems Foundation will make a significant difference to our parents and their families who often spend a lot of time in our NCCU caring for their premature babies,” Ms Reynolds said.

Over the past four years, the event has seen thousands of families joining in the celebration by posting photos on the charities Facebook page, showing a sea of green all in support of babies born too soon. This year saw ten nurseries spanning across five different states each hosting a morning tea to show their support of the day with many families, supporters and businesses fundraising for the charity. L’il Aussie Prems Foundation will be donating up to $7,000 towards the purchase of equipment between the four nurseries from these incredible fundraising efforts in April.

L’il Aussie Prems Foundation’s website and forum has been established since 2007 and continues to offer a lifeline to families. The website has blossomed over the past seven years into Australia's largest online community and forum for families with prematurely born children and sick newborns. The committee comprises of parents themselves who have all experienced their own personal journey and understand the importance of supporting the hospitals that save the lives of Australia’s most vulnerable babies within the community.