Neonatal Intensive Care nurse Amy Beasy found the tables turned in the most dramatic way when she gave birth to her baby boy, Samuel.
Samuel had a fight on his hands from the moment he entered the world, at just 27 weeks, sending his family into a tailspin.
“It was a surprise, that’s for sure,” Amy said.
“I was only six months pregnant at the time.
“We live on the Sunshine Coast and the University hospital doesn’t have the capacity to take babies under 29 weeks, which meant Samuel had to be airlifted to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.”
Some 26,000 babies are born prematurely each year, with many facing an uphill battle in suffering higher rates of respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological complications than babies born full term.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures show a slight increase in the number of premature births from 8.3 per cent to 8.7 per cent in the 10 years between 2010 and 2020.
For people living in rural and remote areas, the premature birth rate almost doubles, to 13.5 per cent.
Amy learned first-hand how Australian hospitals are struggling to cope with the growing number of pre-term births, and how new mothers and their babies are often forced to travel for life-saving equipment.
“I called my husband to say we were being helicoptered to Brisbane and for the next 10 weeks, I stayed there while Nathan drove back and forth with the girls,” Amy said of her young family’s experience.
But one charity born from similar circumstances is going a long way, literally, towards helping provide some of that burden in funding equipment.
Running for Premature Babies was founded by Sophie Smith and her late husband Ash after they lost triplets Henry, Evan and Jasper to complications following their premature birth in 2006.
What began as a quest to run a half marathon to fund one new humidicrib in memory of their boys grew into the Running for Premature Babies Foundation.
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor with your name and suburb at Sunshine Coast News via: news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au
The charity has now raised in excess of $5 million for more than 100 pieces of life-saving equipment for hospitals around Australia, directly benefiting about 8000 babies, as well as research.
The charity has now launched the Premmie Marathon Challenge as a virtual event throughout November to coincide with international Prematurity Awareness Month.
“We are aiming to raise $500,000 to help pay for equipment like humidicribs, ventilators, neonatal monitors and ultrasound machines – equipment that quite simply saves lives,” Ms Smith said.
“Some humidicribs are so incredibly sophisticated and technologically advanced, they allow babies needing surgery to be operated on from within the humidicrib, without the need to be transferred to an operating table.
“The Premmie Marathon Challenge is open to absolutely everyone, regardless of whether they are a ‘runner’ or have a personal connection to prematurity.
“We welcome people of all ages and levels of fitness and you choose your own challenge from a 21-kilometre half marathon throughout the month right through to a 300km Triple Ultra Marathon and everything in between.
“There’s also no obligation to run. You can also walk, swim, cycle or roll. You just have to track your kilometres through the month to achieve your chosen distance.”
Purple Wiggle Lachy Gillespie is adding his star power to the cause, after his twin daughters were born early, and will be completing a marathon throughout the month.
Participants can register as an individual or as a team.
Amy knows her baby owes his life to the generosity of others and wants to give back.
She and Nathan are preparing to run a marathon throughout the month as part of the Premmie Babies Challenge.
“I’ve never run in my life, but I just think of the babies when it gets hard and know what Samuel goes through is so much harder,” Amy said.
“He’s had a rough ride, with about 9 or 10 hospital admissions and three surgeries.
“Even when it was time to go home to the Sunshine Coast, Samuel was transported back in a special neonatal ambulance gifted by Running for Premature Babies.”
Smith, herself, has signed up for the 200km Double Ultra Marathon which she’ll divide into four 21km half marathons to run on each Sunday through November, as well as multiple 10km runs through the weeks.
“Completing the challenge will be hard but it’s nothing compared to how hard these babies have to fight in their first days, weeks and even months of life,” she said.
“Knowing we are able to make a difference to the lives of sick and premature babies and give them a better chance of survival is all the inspiration I’ll need to get my challenge done.
“All you need is a pair of shoes or swimmers and a big heart.”
SUBSCRIBE here now for our FREE news feed, direct to your inbox daily!
