A parent whose son spent roughly 100 days being cared for by the incredible team on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) based at St Peter’s Hospital, is supporting other parents to come together to share similar experiences of having a baby who has received or is receiving care on the NICU.
Nick Todd, Garden Centre Manager at Squire’s Garden Centre in Chertsey, is working with Little Roo Neonatal Fund to host monthly coffee mornings that bring families together in the garden centre Café Bar to meet and chat about their experiences on, and after NICU.
Nick has a personal connection with the unit, as his son Austin spent roughly 100 days being cared for by the team in 2019 after being born at 26 weeks and wanted to support Little Roo in any way that he could.
Shortly after Nick moved to Squire’s in Chertsey, the opportunity came to select the garden centre’s Charity of the Year. Keen to support Little Roo, the charitable fund was chosen as Charity of the Year by Squire’s Chertsey for a second year running.
Speaking about how the partnership came about, Nick explained: “In my first few weeks here, I met with Sid Hurry, Charity Manager for Little Roo to discuss what we could do to support them, not only to raise funds, but to also raise awareness of the Charity and the support it needs. It was then that Sid mentioned about running an offsite coffee morning.
“I thought it’s a no-brainer really - I can offer a safe space for families to come and discuss their experiences with those who have been through something similar. I also have that experience, so I could be a helping hand and offer my support to those parents too.
“The unit can be a loud and scary place and actually coming away from that for a short period of time can be really beneficial.”
Nick and his son in the neonatal intensive care unit at St Peter’s Hospital
The coffee mornings are held from 11am to 12pm on the last Thursday of each month, in the Chertsey branch Café Bar. They are open to all families past and present, whose baby or babies have been or are currently being cared on the Neonatal Unit.
Sid Hurry, Little Roo Charity Manager, said: “We are extremely grateful for the support that Nick and his team at Squire’s continue to provide by raising awareness of Little Roo, and for offering a space for our NICU community to come together to support one another.
“The NICU experience doesn’t end when families leave the Neonatal Unit, it can feel very isolating as loved ones may not understand their experience. The coffee morning provides an excellent opportunity for both current and past NICU families to come together and support one another in a friendly and informal environment.”
Little Roo Neonatal Fund is part of the Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals Charity, find out more about Little Roo by visiting www.ashfordstpeters.nhs.uk/littleroo
Pictured top: Nick Todd at Squire’s Garden Centre in Chertsey
