Words by Smiley Team
A family has raised £20,000 in memory of their daughter to help parents stay close to their babies while in hospital.
Parents Amy and Connor Campbell, along with Amy’s sister Kirsty, set up Cambellinas after the Campbells’ twin daughters Esme and Charlotte were born three months early in 2016, and were both very poorly.
Charlotte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy following a brain hemorrhage, while Esme contracted meningitis and ventriculitis following an infection, and sadly never recovered. Charlotte was able to go home, on what would have been her due date, three months later.
The family decided to raise money in Esme’s memory and launched the ‘Save my Seat campaign. Their donation of almost £20,000 was used by Leeds Hospitals Charity to purchase special reclining chairs, guest beds and retractable screens between cots.
The screens ensure privacy and dignity for sleeping parents, while guest beds allow patients to remain by their child, which is essential for caring, development and growth for mum and baby.
The twins’ mum Amy said: “When Esme died, we felt such huge gratitude towards the unit and how incredibly supportive and hardworking they were. Everything that they've done for our family - we wanted to say thank you to them.
“When I was on the unit, there were some big, comfy chairs. You don't realise until you're in that position but a relaxing, reclining chair makes a world of difference. However it almost turned into a bit of a joke because they didn't have many.
“If you managed to bag yourself a comfy chair in the morning, you either got your partner to sit on it when you went to go and express, or the nurse would have to save your seat. Which is what led to us starting the ‘Save my Seat’ campaign.”
The Leeds Centre for Newborn Care at Leeds Children’s Hospital is one of the largest neonatal services in the country. It provides specialist care to around 1,700 babies each year, many of whom need intensive care or surgery.
The service uses a model of Family Integrated Care (FICare), introduced in 2015, the first of its kind in the UK. This enables parents to get to know their baby and learn how to care for them.
Liz McKechnie, Consultant Neonatologist at Leeds Children’s Hospital said: “The Campbell family were able to benefit from FICare and now their generous donation will enable many more families to do so.”
For more information visit the Leeds Hospitals Charity website or follow them on Twitter.
