Preemie Mum, Marissa, shares her NICU Superheroes

     

Our campaign to celebrate excellence in neonatal care continues as Marissa Albert nominates two members of staff, Rachel and Debbie, as her NICU Superheroes for the care they gave to her premature twins Marley and Rocco.

Rachel Lyons
“Although I believe every single member of staff in the NICU/SCBU is a superhero, Rachel is very special to our family as my twin boys Marley and Rocco were born at 30 weeks and spent 9 weeks in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow. Rachel made it easier to leave our boys at night when we knew she was on shift. I used to catch her cuddling my boys when I came in sometimes and it made me feel very happy as a parent, that someone was there to cuddle them when I couldn’t always be there 24/7. Rachel made our stay easier too as we used to talk about things other than just the boys which helped me a lot.

Since the boys have gone home I still keep in touch with her and send updates of the boys, I feel as though she has become a friend as well as the boy’s nurse. She always went above and beyond and is truly a very special lady with a heart of gold and always has a huge smile on her face which made everyone else’s day a little brighter on some dark days. You could always tell that she loved her job and that it wasn’t just a job, it was a passion. We are forever grateful for the care and love that was given to Marley and Rocco. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Debbie McIlroy
“Debbie is just such a wonderful woman, I felt as though she always had a soft spot for our twins and really helped them on their journey to come home. Our twins were a little lazy at the end but with Debbie’s support and encouragement she helped our boys get into open cots and also helped them on their journey to feeding. Debbie would also always ask about my health and was there to listen and give advice. You could tell she had so much time, patience and love to give to the babies and always enjoyed a little cuddle which made me happy. I always felt happy arriving and leaving the SCBU knowing that Debbie was looking after our boys and I was super happy that she was there to see us go too. She made a huge impact during our stay at hospital and for that we are forever grateful, she is a very special lady who deserves recognition for what she does. You are amazing Debbie, thank you!”

We would like to encourage more parents to come forward and share their thanks, so we've designed a poster that staff can print out and put up in their units so that more parents can learn about the NICU Superhero campaign. Nominated staff will receive a special NICU Superhero rosette, a certificate, and be in with a chance to win ‘NICU Superhero of the Year.’

To nominate your NICU Superhero or Superheroes, we're asking parents to drop us a brief note with the name of the NHS staff member they're nominating, why they're nominating them and which hospital they work in to parents@vcreate.tv, or send us a direct message via @vCreateNeonatal on Facebook.