TINY LIVES
Tiny Lives supports babies and families on ward 35 at the Royal Victoria Infirmary which is the neonatal intensive care unit. The charity offers a safety net for parents who have entered a world completely out of their control.
Why was the charity founded?
Tiny Lives was set up to ensure the best possible outcomes for premature and sick newborn babies. Born in 1983 Tiny Lives was the brainchild of Dr Hans Steiner a paediatrician who with Dr Edmund Hey took care of babies at Newcastle’s Neonatal Unit, which at the time was based at the Princess Mary Hospital. As Tiny Lives grew into an independent charity and developed, we recognised the huge impact that having a premature or sick newborn baby has on a family and to ensure the best outcome for that baby we needed to extend our support to the family that is incubator side.
Which areas do you cover?
Currently our support is available to all babies and families who spend time on the Neonatal Unit at the Newcastle’s RVI. The unit looks after babies from across the North East and Northern Cumbria. Babies are often transferred to the RVI from other hospitals in the Northern Neonatal Network, which stretches from the borders of Cumbria and Northumberland into North Yorkshire and as far south as Northallerton.
What types of events do you have?
The annual Tiny Lives Ball is one of the most important events in our fundraising calendar, bringing together prominent faces from the business community, hardworking medical staff and parent supporters of the charity for a night of amazing entertainment, delicious food and live music – all to raise vital funds. This year the event will take place on Saturday 5th October 2024 at Hilton Hotel, Newcastle/Gateshead. For more information or to book contact louise@tinylives.org.uk or 07904 511226.
What is your mission?
Having a premature or sick baby can be one of the most difficult and life changing challenges a family can experience. Tiny Lives is here to help ensure the best possible outcomes for babies and their families throughout their neonatal journey. We recognise the neonatal journey is different for every family. For some, it may start during pregnancy and for some it may continue long after discharge. Tiny Lives supports babies and their families throughout this journey.
What have been your proudest moments so far?
Being discharged from hospital with a newborn baby can be daunting and being discharged from hospital after your baby has had a neonatal stay can come with further anxieties and concerns. It can also be an isolating experience for parents when their baby has additional needs. Back in 2019 Tiny Lives were proud to introduce our post discharge support for our families in the form of our Parent & Baby classes. Open exclusively to families who have spent time on the neonatal unit, the free to access Tiny Lives ‘Meet, Chat, Learn’ sessions, offer play-based learning, development groups and support networks where our parents can come together, share experiences and learn new skills, to support them and their baby. Our work supporting families once they have returned home from hospital now also includes a self-referral counselling service to help parents process their emotions following their experience with neonatal care.
What are you currently working on?
Around one in seven babies born in the UK each year are admitted onto neonatal units, meaning a huge proportion of the North East workforce has experienced neonatal care with their baby, because of this fact Tiny Lives is proud to have developed a Neonatal Awareness Training Session. The training, designed to support businesses by educating them about the potential impact of Neonatal Care on their employees.
How do people get involved?
If your workplace may be interested in taking part in this free training session, or would like to become involved in fundraising or volunteering please contact Rachel Hardwick, Fundraising & Engagement Manager at rachel@tinylives.org.uk. 0191 230 2112.
www.tinylives.org.uk