Essential Baby member Karen's baby Ethan was born at 33 weeks.
Do you know a “Local Premmie Hero”?
L’il Aussie Prems, an online support site for families of premature babies & children, is proud to once again sponsor Australia’s first award to recognise and celebrate the dedication of individual volunteers within the local premature baby community. After the success of last years awards the 'Premmie Hero Awards' now enter their second year. Last years winner Sophie Smith was a worthy recipient of the award and we look forward to honouring another Premmie Hero in 2010.
Every year in Australia, thousands of babies are born prematurely. Their families ride a rollercoaster of emotions as they watch their children fight to overcome the health and developmental issues facing them as a result of their early arrival. These issues continue long after the babies are discharged from hospital.
L’il Aussie Prems is seeking nominations from around Australia of “local premmie heroes” – the ordinary yet extraordinary people who give up their time to support the families of premature babies both during their hospital stay and afterwards, doing everything from sewing tiny clothing for very low birth weight babies to setting up local playgroups for prematurely born children to knitting for hospitals to organising fundraising for research into the causes of premature birth.
“As a community of parents, we understand the premmie journey and how hard the road can be. We want to recognise and pay tribute to those people who go out of their way to make things easier for other families travelling that road.” said Julia Toivonen, founder of the L’il Aussie Prems website and mother of two premature babies.
Nominations of local premmie heroes can be made via the L’il Aussie Prems website at: www.lilaussieprems.com.au/hero Nominees do not need to have any premature children of their own. Nominations open on Monday 1st February 2010 and close on Friday 30th April 2010.
Details of the winners will be announced in May 2010.
Chat about premmie babies and children and in Babies Born Early and Beyond forum.
