Children’s Health Ireland has a responsibility to care for many of the sickest babies in Ireland. Every year, over 400 babies cross the doors of the Neonatal Units in Children’s Health Ireland in Crumlin and Temple Street. These babies, and their families, deserve the most loving and compassionate care.
Breathing difficulties in newborn infants contribute to many neonatal deaths and the development of life-limiting conditions such as cerebral palsy. The provision of effective and timely resuscitation at birth and during the neonatal period greatly increases the chance of survival amongst infants.
At present, Children’s Health Ireland provides Basic Life Support and Advanced Paediatric Life Support programmes across the hospitals and urgent care centres. While these programmes provide wonderful outcomes for children of all ages, we often find that babies need specialist, adapted care which is tailored for their smaller bodies.
With your company’s help, we can support the doctors and nurses in Children’s Health Ireland’s Neonatal Unit to develop Ireland’s first Neonatal Resuscitation Programme. By donating to our appeal today, you will help fund life-saving equipment, top quality education and state-of-the-art resources to ensure that if a baby has breathing problems, they will receive fast, effective and tailored resuscitation as soon as possible.
With this new programme in place, you can help ensure that every baby has the very best chance of survival and living a full, healthy life with their family, just like Grace.
Short Story
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€30 could help fund a range of fun, diverting and therapeutic events and activities in CHI hospitals, like the Saturday Club in CHI at Temple Street, and CHI at Crumlin’s Giggle Fund.
€50 could help fund ground-breaking paediatric research, giving extra hope to sick children and their families.
€100 could contribute to the cost of buying life-saving equipment like incubators and heart-rate monitors, ensuring every child gets the very best care.
When your company supports our Summer Appeal, vital funds are raised for sick children in Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly. Thank you for your kindness.
Grace’s Story
Grace was born with oesophageal atresia, a condition where part of the oesophagus does not fully develop. Ashling Grace’s mum shares their story with us.
Grace and her twin Danny came hurriedly into the world on the 17th December 2023 just in time for Santa. During my pregnancy we had been told by my obstetrician that she suspected Grace had oesophageal atresia, a birth defect where part of the oesophagus does not develop properly, as she had extra fluid around her and the absence of her stomach bubble. Having had 4 previous healthy and straightforward pregnancies this came as quite a shock; however we were so grateful that we had been given time to prepare for Graces arrival.
Grace and Danny arrived just after 1am on the 17th of December just over 6 weeks early. They were both taken straight away by the neonatal team and checked over. Apart from a slightly low birthweight Danny was fine however the decision was made by the Coombe to move Grace straight to CHI Crumlin as they did not know how severe her condition was. Grace made her tiny way by ambulance up the Crumlin Road followed closely by her Daddy Gary, she was brought straight into ICU and was there for 2 days until she was finally managing to breathe on her own. She then moved down to the earth angels on the Neonatal HDU where she has been ever since. Grace has been so well cared for by the nurses and minded as if she was one of their own. She lights up when anyone wearing a blue uniform walks into her room a sure sign of how many chats and cuddles she is having when I’m not around.
We’ve been so lucky with Grace even though we’ve found out she has “long gap” oesophageal atresia which means she has a gap between her oesophagus and stomach so needs a replogle tube to remove her saliva and secretions and to be fed via a feeding tube. Grace thankfully has no other issues and is otherwise a very healthy baby girl and will hopefully have her surgery this summer.
The neonatal team are nothing short of amazing, Grace is cared for with so much love and compassion and I will be so grateful to them for that forever. Grace is our youngest, our special girl and has four big brothers counting down the days until she comes home. We can’t thank the staff of CHI Crumlin enough for all they have done for Grace and our family we are truly indebted to them. The level of care and support we have received is truly incredible and has gotten us through the dark days when we despaired of having our family split up. Our life has been on pause since the 17th of December 2023 but every day she grows bigger and stronger and a day closer to coming home. We are so excited for the brighter days and bringing our baby girl home where she belongs.
– Ashing, Grace’s Mum