Agatha's Story is 'best'
Download Fundraising Materials
Download The Run form
Download Agatha's Appeal Card 1
Download Agatha's Appeal Card 2
Why Does Agatha's Appeal Support Friends of St George's NNU Charity...
The Friends Of St George's Does Some Fantastic Work...
The Neonatal Unit (NNU) at St George’s cares for over 500 new-born babies each year (up to 30 at any one time) in the intensive, high dependency and special care nurseries at the hospital.
Where are these babies from?
Whilst many of the babies on the unit are born to families living locally, others come from across the South East of England. This is because St George’s NNU is a ‘regional centre of excellence’ which means that they also care for babies born at other hospitals which unfortunately cannot provide the level of expertise and equipment needed.
Why do they need to receive treatment?
Many of the babies we care for have simply been born prematurely. Some mothers have only just reached 24 weeks of pregnancy (40 weeks is generally considered normal). However, with the right care, these babies can grown up to be healthy, happy children. Other babies are born at or near full-term, but need treatment for an illness or breathing difficulties or may need an operation, often for a problem identified during a pregnancy scan.
How many make it home?
Although it can be incredibly stressful and traumatic for families when a baby is critically ill, thanks to progress in medical science and the incredible fighting spirit of even the tiniest babies, most of the children they care for do survive & go home to lead full lives. The survival rate for babies born at 28 weeks or after, cared for at St George’s, is over 90%. However, the babies who don’t make it home as they are just as important. Families can still spend very precious days, weeks or months with their baby on the unit, even though they tragically do not win their fight.