I just wanted to say thank you for your support over the past 3 months at Monash Children’s Hospital. NICU is a place of the highest highs and the lowest of lows; no one can begin to prepare you for the experience and family and friends can’t comprehend the debilitating anxiety that comes with having an extreme premature baby. It leaves you in a very isolated, exhausting and frankly, downright scary place when you aren’t sure if your baby will make it through the night. 

I reluctantly went to the first Little Treasures Morning Tea – telling people I had a baby at 25 weeks was hard as it came with so many questions that I just didn’t want to answer, but I am so glad that the foundation and its volunteers gave their time and I am beyond grateful for having experienced the support that the group offers. Not only did the Volunteers offer a friendly ear, they shared stories and experiences that we so relatable, experiences that gave me hope. Not many people will understand what it’s like to spend 16 weeks in a hospital chair, hoping your child has a better 24 hours than the last– it’s all consuming because you live in that moment on repeat, day after day. Hearing stories through the foundation gave me the ability to see beyond the monitors, the breathing support and all the tubes and imagine that homecoming that I had been craving for months. From that point forward I loved attending the Morning Tea’s and being able to let other parents who were in my position know that it does get better, even if at times it feels like things are getting worse. 

Well this week, for my birthday I got the best present in the world – after 108 days Miss Olivia got to come home. I can’t explain how incredible it was to put her in the pram and wheel her out into the big wide world beyond the hospital doors. Being home has now given me the chance to reflect on all the things and people that helped me survive and I would like to personally thank Maggie and Lisa for being there for me in a way I will never be able to repay them for. As for the foundation, keep doing what you are doing – the resource material is fantastic, as are the meet and greet morning teas. Please also thank the sponsors of the programs because I know without them you wouldn’t be able to have the same reach as what you currently do – this includes supplying morning tea, providing beautiful gifts and access to additional support such has prem packs and the Huggies nappy program. 

Thank you so much for being there to lift me up when I needed it.