Heart FM partners with Newborns Groote Schuur Trust to save premature babies

Babies who would have died a few decades ago survive today due to specialist care received in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) worldwide. While there are many factors associated with premature birth, in many cases the exact cause is unknown meaning any pregnant woman might be at risk.

Heart FM has once again put their hearts into the cause and partnered with Newborns Groote Schuur Trust, Cape Argus and Pick n Pay to raise much needed funds for the ‘Little by Little’ campaign aimed at expanding and upgrading the Groote Schuur Neonatal Unit.

The Neonatal Unit is only one of two tertiary units in the Western Cape capable of providing the highly specialised care that these tiny babies so desperately need, and was the first tertiary unit in the country to be awarded Baby Friendly Status by the WHO.

From humble beginnings, the Neonatal unit now cares for upwards of 75 babies at any one time in a space-constrained environment. Life saving neonatal care is very costly and a successful campaign with Heart FM, Pick n Pay and the Cape Argus in 2010/11 helped equip the unit with desperately needed incubators which are still saving lives today.

To date, R280 000 has been raised for the “Little by Little” campaign which runs until Wednesday, 17 February.

Members of the public can get involved by purchasing a R10 ticket at any Western Cape Pick ‘n Pay store or donating directly on the Newborns Trust website. The proceeds will go directly to the upgrade of the unit which cares for more than 3000 babies every year.

Customers will be asked to make a R10 donation when they pay for their shopping, fill in their details on a voucher and deposit this in the box at the information kiosk. To reward shoppers for donating to the cause, Pick n Pay is giving away R2000 worth of groceries for the duration of the campaign through a lucky draw.

Click here for a glimpse into the life of a premature baby.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.1049.fm or log onto Newborns Trust to see how your contribution can make a difference in the life of a premature baby. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.