Over 100,000 babies are born premature or sick and needing neonatal care in the UK each year. That is 1 in 7 babies, or around 300 babies every day. Parents imagine their first moments with their new baby being full of joy, however being in a neonatal unit often takes those moments away from them.

The Ulster Neonatal Unit have entered 3 Relay Teams and 1 full marathon runner to run the 2022 Belfast City Marathon in the hope of raising vital funds to help support & celebrate families of infants cared for within the unit.

Staff feel it is important to celebrate all of the usual milestones that new parents routinely celebrate in the outside world. These include Mothers & Fathers Day, Christmas, World Prematurity Day etc - most months we find something special to celebrate!

Many of these milestone will be a ‘first’ for parents or potentially ‘their only’ and therefore it is important to create special, lifelong memories that will be cherished forever.

During these celebrations the staff love to create as much fuss as possible for our parents and babies! They make up gift bags, blow up lots of balloons, make personalised cards (which normally feature tiny little footprints), take photos to place inside photo frames, order in cupcakes & treats and there is normally an order placed with the likes of Etsy for memorable gifts.

“We love to give our parents some positivity and joy in what can be extremely difficult and worrying times” - Lorraine Shaw, Occupational Therapist.

The Ulster Neonatal Unit has a philosophy of Family Integrated Care were parents are seen as partners in care. The unit hopes to purchase several copies of the book ‘Caring for your baby in the Neonatal Unit' which will help parents understand and learn the vital role they play in their baby’s care, right from the start!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of the runners taking part in this event and to anyone who is kind enough to donate, no matter how big or small - it all adds up!