Arya Parmar was born at Heartlands Hospital’s Neonatal Unit at just 27 weeks, weighing a tiny 500 grams. When she was born she suffered liver and kidney failure, as well as a brain haemorrhage, and had to undergo heart surgery.

For her parents, Sonal and Vikram Parmar, this was an incredibly stressful time, and they spent the first five months of Arya’s life on the Neonatal Unit at Heartlands, watching her slowly get bigger and stronger before they were able to bring her home.

During that time, Arya was under the careful and expert care of the staff on the unit. Speaking of the care that they gave, Vikram said: “The care that the staff were able to offer was amazing, we always felt welcome on the wards as staff always took the time to come and speak to us, no matter how busy it was.”

When a baby is on the Neonatal Unit, parents can often struggle to interact with their baby in the same way that they would if they were at home. Sonal and Vikram both spent time learning how to care for Arya so that when they took her home, they were able to cope well with the oxygen tank and feeding tube that Arya still relied on.

Vikram said: “The staff took the time to explain everything really well and didn’t use too much medical jargon. We had a lot to learn about with taking care of Arya at home, but the staff made this process much easier for us.”

When Arya was big and strong enough to return home, Vikram and Sonal wanted to do something to give back to the unit that cared for their daughter. They raised money for the unit, and thanks to the generosity of their friends and family they raised a wonderful £1,000.

The money that they raised helped Heartlands Hospital Charity to reach its target for the Incubator appeal, which brought seven new, state-of-the-art incubators to the hospital to provide the very best care for tiny babies like Arya.

Now, Heartlands Hospital Charity is asking for help to fund a Family Integrated Care lead for the Neonatal Units at Heartlands and Good Hope. The Family Integrated Care lead will help parents like Vikram and Sonal, spending time teaching them the skills that they need to care for their baby once they return home.

As was the case with Arya, some of the babies who leave the unit will still need oxygen or feeding support at home, and the Family Integrated Care lead will be able to support them through the transition from being in the Neonatal Unit to being at home.

Sabrina Hussaine, Fundraising Officer for Heartlands Hospital Charity, said: “Our thanks go to Vikram, Sonal and all of their friends and family for the generosity that they have shown in donating to support our Incubator appeal. It is thanks to our supporters that we have been able to bring these new incubators to Heartlands Hospital which are already helping to provide the best care possible for the tiny babies that we treat on the unit.

“With your support we will be able to help provide even more support for parents like Vikram and Sonal, you can help us by donating money, hosting your own fundraising event, or taking part in one of our own events.”

Find out more about getting involved by emailing Sabrina at Sabrina.hussaine@uhb.nhs.uk

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