Phoebe with her Grandma, Susan Moor, Customer Advisor at Pavers in Dalton Park, Amy Patterson, Fundraising and Administration Assistant at The Tiny Lives Trust, Joe (Susan's grandchild) and Susan's daughter Katie, mum to Phoebe and Joe!
The Pavers Foundation has donated £1,500 to The Tiny Lives Trust, a registered charity helping to care for premature and poorly newborn babies, their mothers and families. Tiny Lives supports the Neonatal Unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
Susan Moor, Customer Advisor at Pavers in Dalton Park, applied to the Foundation to support Tiny Lives, after they provided incredible support for her daughter’s twins, who were born 8 weeks early.
Susan’s grandchildren, Joe and Phoebe, arrived on the 4th of February 2018, weighing just 4lb 1oz and 2lb 12oz. For the first few weeks both were doing well and gaining weight, however, at just two weeks old, Phoebe, who was the smaller of the two, developed an infection in the gut called Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC). Phoebe was rushed from Sunderland to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle where surgeons had to perform lifesaving surgery. Following surgery, Phoebe was transferred to the Neonatal Unit, which is where Susan’s family discovered the invaluable support of The Tiny Lives Trust.
At such a worrying time and during the middle of the night, Tiny Lives provided Susan’s daughter with accommodation on the unit, a parking permit for the hospital and food whilst there, so they never had to leave Phoebe's side.
After spending 6 months in hospital, Phoebe is now home with her twin brother Joe, however the fantastic support received from the charity has not been forgotten. Susan and her family regularly fundraise for Tiny Lives, to give back to the cause that provided them with so much support.
“Thank you to the Pavers Foundation for this donation. There are so many families we met on our journey who just like us, had received support from The Tiny Lives Trust.”
“We feel that by raising money we are helping the next parent who is now in the same situation we were in. This donation from the Pavers Foundation has helped bring our total raised for the Trust to £4,000!”
Susan Moor, Customer Advisor at Pavers in Dalton Park
Tiny Lives works to provide the highest quality of care on an ongoing basis and has to raise at least £350,000 every year to support its wide range of facilities, staff, and equipment. The charity provides a wide range of support for both families and for the Neonatal Unit itself. This includes developmental care aids, a package of support for every family, a family room and accommodation for families, financial support for travel costs, a Neonatal Physiotherapist to aid early development, specialist training, a dedicated Social Worker and research grants to help the unit offer the highest quality of care.
“We are so grateful to everyone at the Pavers Foundation for this wonderful grant, as well as to Susan and Katie for nominating us. Every year, Tiny Lives supports over 750+ premature and sick newborn babies and their families on the RVI’s Neonatal Unit, offering practical, emotional and financial support. This money will go a long way to helping us continue this work and will make a huge difference to babies and families during this very difficult period of their lives.”
“The funds will be used to continue supplying items such as nests for the babies to be comfortably positioned in, Miniboo comforters to help babies and parents’ bond when they may have to be separated for long stretches of time, and other invaluable items; all of which make the Neonatal experience a little bit easier.”
Amy Patterson, Fundraising and Administration Assistant at The Tiny Lives Trust
To find out more about the fantastic work of The Tiny Lives Trust, please visit www.tinylives.org.uk.
