"Our time in the neonatal unit"

Our baby boy made an unexpected entrance into the world 9 weeks early in Novermber 2024.

The paediatric team including Joanne ANP explained their role and the plan just before delivery. They were very professional and reassuring and we are so grateful for the safe delivery and care they provided to our son during the first moments of his life.

Our son was bought to the Neonatal unit in Craigavon Area Hospital straight after delivery and spent 45 days here. During his time in the neonatal unit he was cared for by a team of incredible ANPs, staff nurses, care assistants, student nurses, domestics and doctors. We will be forever grateful for the role you have all played in our son’s early journey - your skills, care and compassion have meant the world to us. The reassurance, advice and support from the staff have made a very worrying and stressful time that bit easier.

The staff always went above and beyond their job role - doing baby first footprints, teaching us baby massage, cupcakes on world prematurity day, making a poem and doing footprints for the year count down to our wedding, making Christmas cards, creating a lovely atmosphere with music and sensory lights and most importantly providing the ‘craic’ daily which helped us through some difficult days.

It really takes a special person to do the job they do! We are so pleased to watch our boy thrive and have him home with us thanks to you all!