Jennie Bronte-Hearne (32) has raised ?600 for the Special Care Baby Unit at Noble’s Hospital, which looked after her twin sons, who were born at just 30 weeks in September 2014.
Dehan and Jacques were just under 4 lbs when they arrived rather unexpectedly. Nursed with great care and affection for two months by the SCBU team, the identical twins are now healthy two-year-olds.
Jennie, Assistant Manager of Credit at Standard Bank Isle of Man, raised the money through collections at work on dress-down days over the last quarter of 2016. Standard Bank also matched the donations made by staff.
The SCBU unit is a cause very close to Jennie’s heart. Reflecting on the day that Dehan and Jacques came into the world, she said: “I left work feeling a little peaky but still went to my aqua-natal class. I stayed afterwards for a drink and a chat but not long after getting home I felt a big kick and my waters broke. I obviously felt a bit panicked so went straight to hospital.
“I was given drugs to halt the labour and the hospital organised for an air ambulance to take me to Liverpool as the neonatal unit was full. But the boys couldn’t wait so I gave birth in the maternity ward shortly after midnight.
“I was in shock and obviously worrying that my babies weren’t ‘ready’ yet. Dehan was born and 18 minutes later, Jacques arrived and each was promptly whisked away by the waiting doctors. The sense of relief when I heard Jacques cry was overwhelming.
“And that was the point when our journey with SCBU began. They were so professional from the start. They gave me and my partner an honest assessment of the risks and the road ahead. All of the machines and monitors were explained calmly and sensitively.
"In addition to the excellent medical care, the nursing team provided a huge amount of emotional support to me and my partner; not just during the boys' stay in hospital but through home visits following their discharge.
“The commitment and love that you feel at SCBU is incredible. It is a place of tiny miracles and our journey is by no means exceptional - many Manx premature and sick babies receive care from SCBU every year. I hope that the money we’ve raised at Standard Bank will go some way to assist other families receiving the same superb care that we experienced.”
Photo - (left to right): Jennie Bronte-Hearne with Dehan (holding the cheque) and Jacques, Chris Till – CEO of Standard Bank Isle of Man, and Paul McCann - Lead Nurse of Neonatal Services at Noble’s Hospital.
