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Tiny reason for huge commitment: Grandad to run from Perth to Sydney

<p>John Harb admits he’s never been much of a runner. But that’s about to change, when the 62-year-old grandad and yoga enthusiast runs from Perth to Sydney for his granddaughter Luna.</p> <p>Little Luna came into the world three months early at Sydney's Royal Hospital for Women, in February, and at just 500 grams, she was the same weight as a tub of butter. </p> <p>The experience left John in awe, not only of his baby granddaughter, but of the magic that happens in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the hospital.</p> <p>“To watch Luna over the past three months, and witness her strength and her fighting spirit has been incredible,” said John. </p> <p>“Seeing my daughter Michelle and her husband Nick, and all the other parents and premature babies in the ward going through such a difficult time but being so well supported by the doctors and nurses made me want to do something to help,” he said.</p> <p>“When I discovered 80 percent of the equipment in the unit, including the equipment that kept Luna alive, was purchased through donations, I wanted to do something big.”</p> <p>Taking inspiration from Nedd Brockman, John has decided to run across the country with the goal of raising one-million-dollars to support the NICU.</p> <p>Currently training by running 15 kilometres a day, John has sourced advice from a range of experts including Brockman himself, who made a special visit to the NICU after hearing of John’s plans.</p> <p>He plans to commence his run at Cottesloe Beach on 1 October and arrive at The Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick in early December.</p> <p>Royal Hospital for Women Foundation General Manager Elise Jennings said John’s commitment will allow the hospital to purchase more lifesaving equipment on their wish list, like a new ultrasound machine for high risk pregnancies. </p> <p>“I have come to know John through the time he spent in the NICU supporting Michelle and Luna and I know how passionate he is about making a difference for those who come after Luna and we are incredibly grateful to John for his commitment. Running from Perth to Sydney is a huge undertaking, especially for a grandfather in his 60s with no previous long distance running experience, but if anyone can do it, he can.”</p> <p> “We are thrilled that John is announcing his run as part of our major annual fundraiser, Heart for Her, in recognition not only of the extraordinary care received by Michelle and Luna, but for all of the babies and families who come through our doors.”</p> <p>“For three decades now, The Royal Hospital for Women Foundation has funded the best medical equipment, innovative research, people and programs but we rely on the generosity of our donors to do this.” </p> <p>Donations can be made <a title="https://www.royalwomen.org.au/fundraisers/johnharb" href="https://www.royalwomen.org.au/fundraisers/johnharb" data-outlook-id="eed61181-8705-430d-a478-3f5f14e8b008">https://www.royalwomen.org.au/fundraisers/johnharb</a></p> <p><em>Image credits: Supplied</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Why difficult childhood experiences could make you age prematurely

<p>We know that comparatively disadvantaged people, even in rich countries, have worse health and <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/01/31/low-socioeconomic-status-affects-life-expectancy-more-than-obesi_a_21704449/">shorter life expectancy</a> than others. But what is it exactly about socioeconomic disadvantage and other environmental difficulties that affects our biology? And at what age are we most vulnerable to these effects?</p> <p>While it is unclear exactly how the social environment influences a person’s biology at the molecular level, processes related to ageing are likely to be involved. One such process is DNA methylation, a mechanism used by cells to control gene expression. Specifically, it determines whether and when a gene is turned on, turned off or dialled up or down. Now a new study, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/advance-article/doi/10.1093/aje/kwy155/5060528?guestAccessKey=df5d8e87-4e2d-4bff-b0fb-72ad5319f825#119252619">published in the American Journal of Epidemiology</a>, suggests that this process may be affected by circumstances in our youth – ultimately affecting how we age.</p> <p>All cells in the human body – from blood and skin cells to neurons – share the same genetic code. So how are they so different? The answer lies in gene expression: which of the many thousands of genes in each human cell are switched on, to what extent, and at which stage in the cell’s development.</p> <p>This varies not just between cell types but between people, helping to explain why identical twins can be visibly different. Physically, DNA methylation involves modification of “letters” of the genetic code by addition or removal of a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/methyl-group">methyl group</a> – affecting how much the gene is expressed. Because the distribution of methyl groups along the genome changes in systematic ways with ageing, you can estimate a person’s age from DNA methylation patterns in cells from a blood sample by applying an algorithm.</p> <p>This <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-epigenetics-may-help-us-slow-down-the-ageing-clock-76878">measure of “biological age”</a> is relevant to longevity – individuals with an “older” DNA methylation age are at greater risk of age-related disease and mortality. Meanwhile, it seems environmental influences may alter or “accelerate” age-related changes in methylation: associations have been shown between DNA methylation age and stress, dietary factors and pollution. This suggests DNA methylation age may be one pathway by which the social environment can affect health.</p> <p><strong>New data</strong></p> <p>Data was used from 1099 adults in the UK to look at whether different dimensions of socioeconomic disadvantage were linked to elevated DNA methylation age, calculated in two ways. When blood samples were collected, the survey had already collected annual information on the same people’s socioeconomic circumstances for 12 years. This meant the study was able to consider current and longer-term measures of things like income, employment status and educational qualifications. Crucially, this data also included information about the occupational social class of an individual’s parents when they were 14.</p> <p>The research discovered that only the last measure showed a clear link with DNA methylation age. Individuals whose parents worked in semi routine or routine occupations were about one year “older” than individuals whose parents worked in managerial or professional roles. Individuals who did not have working parents, or had parents who had died, fared still worse: they were 2.4 or 1.85 years older depending on the algorithm used. The calculations did take account of other relevant factors including smoking, body mass index and the actual age of the study participants.</p> <p>These results suggest DNA methylation age is an aspect of a person’s biology which is vulnerable to influences early in life, but surprisingly robust when it comes to difficulties experienced in adulthood. The next question is which aspects of the childhood socioeconomic environment are most relevant. Is it financial strain, housing quality or diet? Equally important will be to figure out which factors could provide resilience to these effects, potentially buffering children from a lasting impact of disadvantage on DNA methylation age.</p> <p>Of course, the results will need to be replicated, and since DNA methylation age was only measured once, the survey could not definitively prove cause and effect. But the results <a href="https://jech.bmj.com/content/62/5/387">add to extensive evidence</a> that early life circumstances can cast a long shadow on adult health. Perhaps most importantly, this strengthens the case for making sure all children are fully supported.</p> <p><em>Written by Amanda Hughes and Meena Kumari. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/difficult-childhood-experiences-could-make-us-age-prematurely-new-research-102807">theconversation.com</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Legal

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7 habits that can prematurely age your eyes

<p>While nobody can stop their eyes from naturally ageing, there are a few common habits that we should aim to banish as they can prematurely age our eyes.</p> <p>These habits are so common most people aren’t even aware they could be harming their eyes so read the following list and tell us how many are you guilty of?</p> <p><strong>Rubbing your eyes</strong></p> <p>The skin around your eyes is very delicate and as such is one of the first tell-tale signs of aging. Rubbing that fragile area can cause the tiny blood vessels to break resulting in dark circles, puffy eyes and even sagging eyelids.</p> <p><strong>Forgetting the sunnies</strong></p> <p>The sun’s UV rays can damage more than your skin. Unprotected eyes in the sun can not only cause sunburnt eyes but continual exposure can increase your risk of eye diseases, including cataract, growths on eyes, cancer and macular degeneration which all can cause vision loss. Invest in quality sunglasses and make sure you wear them!</p> <p><strong>Not eating right</strong></p> <p>We know a diet of junk food wreaks havoc on our waistlines but it’s also bad for our eyes. If you aren’t eating enough fruit, vegies and fish than you are probably not getting enough of those necessary vitamins, minerals and fatty acids that keep your eyes at optimum health. Aim to fill your plate with leafy greens, fruits and oily fish such as salmon.</p> <p><strong>Not drinking enough water</strong></p> <p>Are you drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day? If you tend to skip the H2O and enjoy a generous dash of salt on your meals this can not only dehydrated your body but your eyes as well. Dehydration can cause dryness, redness, irritation and puffy eyes which will prematurely age the skin around your eyes.</p> <p><strong>Not getting your beauty sleep</strong></p> <p>Anybody who has suffered a bad night of sleep knows the eyes are usually the first to suffer with some variation of bloodshot eyes, puffiness and dark circles. A chronic lack of sleep can accelerate the aging process and cause long-term damage to the optic nerve.</p> <p><strong>Smoking</strong></p> <p>It is well-known that smoking harms your health but that also includes your eye health. Smoking can lead to serious eye diseases including optic nerve damage, cataracts and macular degeneration. Quitting, no matter what age, has been shown to greatly reduce your risk of developing such conditions.</p> <p><strong>Skipping your appointments</strong></p> <p>How often have you skipped your eye exams because nothing was wrong? We are all guilty of doing it but it’s important not to skip appointment as our eyes age.</p> <p>Regular eye exams are necessary because certain diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration (which can cause permanent vision loss) often have no warning signs. Schedule in regular appointments and make sure you attend; you don’t want to gamble with your eyesight.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Body

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Mum’s singing helps save premature baby

<p dir="ltr">Alana was just 24 weeks pregnant when she was rushed to Mater Mothers' Hospital in Brisbane when her water broke.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was far too early for her to give birth and doctors and nurses did everything they could to keep little Rafferty in, but he had another plan.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rafferty was born on October 25 and weighed a terrifying 704g. He was given a 60 per cent chance of survival.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was placed in an incubator in the NICU where parents Alana and Angus watched on, hoping for their baby to pull through.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVcJpQbBDTN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVcJpQbBDTN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Alana Wilkinson (@alana.wilkinson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The couple then decided to move their wedding forward when baby Rafferty was just three weeks and married next to his incubator.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I knew I needed to get as much love into him as possible," Alana told <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/parenting/birth-stories-premature-baby-nicu-mum-music-therapy-wedding/7f913fc3-22b8-4e58-83c4-fab17836844a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9Honey</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"To just cram the love into him. And so we decided to have a beautiful ceremony to bless his arrival and show him how loved and needed he is. We filled the room with as much love as we could. And it was absolutely incredible."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXdRYdtPf1c/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXdRYdtPf1c/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Alana Wilkinson (@alana.wilkinson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The 31-year-old mother then spent every day singing and playing the ukulele to her son as well as cuddling him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“'Got to get that bone marrow working making those red blood cells, got to get that haemoglobin rising up my baby..." were some of the lyrics Alana would sing.</p> <p dir="ltr">Alana then realised that as she was singing, Rafferty’s heart rate would stabilise.</p> <p dir="ltr">After months of singing, Alana and Angus were finally able to take their bundle of joy home in February – but he still requires oxygen.</p> <p dir="ltr">The now seven-month-old is the “happiest little poppet” and continues to giggle, making his parents happy.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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World's most premature baby celebrates first birthday

<p>A baby born weighing less than a pound has beaten the odds and celebrated his first birthday, becoming the most premature baby to survive, according to Guinness World Records.</p> <p>When Richard Scott William Hutchinson was born five months prematurely - recognised by Guinness as the world's most premature baby - his doctors prepared his parents for the worst.</p> <p>Richard was born at Children's Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after his mother, Beth Hutchinson, suffered medical complications that caused her to go into labor.</p> <p>Richard was born 131 days before his due date, weighing just 11.9 ounces, and was so small he could fit in the palm of his parents' hands.</p> <p>“When [his father] Rick and Beth received prenatal counseling on what to expect with a baby born so early, they were given a 0% chance of survival by our neonatology team,” Dr. Stacy Kern, Richard’s neonatologist at Children’s Minnesota, told Guinness World Records.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841920/screen-shot-2021-06-21-at-32350-pm.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a640249cdf7246af8f0dcc3730ce074f" /></p> <p>“I knew the first few weeks of Richard’s life would be very difficult, but I felt that if he could make it through that, he would be a survivor.”</p> <p>Due to the pandemic, Richard's parents were unable to stay overnight with him at the hospital, and his other family members couldn't see him either.</p> <p>So the parents traveled daily from their home in St Croix County, Wisconsin to Minneapolis, according to Guinness.</p> <p>“We made sure we were there to give him support,” Rick told Guinness World Records. “I think that helped him get through this because he knew he could count on us.”</p> <p>Rick and Beth Hutchinson did not reply to CNN’s request for comment.</p> <p>In December 2020, after spending more than six months in the hospital, Richard was able to go home with his family.</p> <p>“The day Richard was discharged from the NICU was such a special day. I remember picking him up out of his crib and just holding him with tears in my eyes,” Kern said.</p> <p>“I couldn’t believe this was the same little boy that once was so sick, that I feared he may not survive. The same little boy that once fit in the palm of my hand, with skin so translucent that I could see every rib and vessel in his tiny body. I couldn’t help but squeeze him and tell him how proud I was of him.”</p> <p>On June 5, the lucky baby got to celebrate his first birthday surrounded by family and their three dogs.</p> <p>“It doesn’t feel real,” Beth said about Richard breaking the record. “We’re still surprised about it. But we’re happy. It’s a way we can share his story to raise awareness about premature births.”</p>

Caring

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4 daily habits that might be ageing you prematurely

<p><strong>1. Bingeing on your favourite shows</strong></p> <p>Calling all House of Cards fans – your love for TV marathons may chip away at your brain. According to a study published in a 2016 issue of Neurology, a lack of physical activity during middle age has been linked to a smaller mind later in life. “We found a direct correlation in our study between poor fitness and brain volume decades later, which indicates accelerated brain ageing,” said study author Nicole Spartano, PhD, with Boston University School of Medicine in Boston. Similar research recently published in JAMA Psychiatry discovered that large amounts of television viewing and low physical activity in early adulthood were associated with a decline in cognitive function during midlife.</p> <p><strong>2. Depriving yourself of sleep</strong></p> <p>Beauty sleep is a real thing, according to science. Physician-scientists at University Hospitals Case Medical Center gathered 60 women between the ages of 30 and 49; half of the volunteers fell into the “poor quality sleep” category. The ladies who snagged less slumber showed increased signs of skin ageing, including fine lines, uneven pigmentation, slackening of skin, and reduced elasticity. “Our study is the first to conclusively demonstrate that inadequate sleep is correlated with reduced skin health and accelerated skin ageing,” said lead study investigator Elma Baron, MD, associate professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.</p> <p><strong>3. Being too inactive day and night</strong></p> <p>In Australia’s largest ongoing study of healthy ageing, researchers analysed the lifestyle behaviours of more than 230,000 participants. They concluded that sleeping too much (more than nine hours per night), sitting too much (more than seven hours a day) and not working out enough (less than 150 minutes a week) can quadruple someone’s risk of dying prematurely. “Our study shows that we should really be taking these behaviours together as seriously as we do other risk factors such as levels of drinking and unhealthy eating patterns,” said lead author Dr. Melody Ding, senior research fellow at the School of Public Health from the University of Sydney.</p> <p><strong>4. Thinking ‘old’ thoughts</strong></p> <p>“The number one thing that can age someone – and the studies support this – is feeling old,” says Robi Ludwig, PsyD, author of Your Best Age is Now. “When we feel younger, we’re more hopeful, we have more productive workouts and we’re more in touch with the possibilities life has to offer, which makes us more optimistic.” In fact, a 2016 study in Health Psychology concluded that people who feel older than their actual age are more than likely to be hospitalised. “The younger we can feel, the better it is for us,” adds Ludwig.</p> <p><em>Written by Amy Capetta and Ashley Lewis. This article first appeared in </em><a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/tips/15-daily-habits-might-be-ageing-you-prematurely"><em>Reader’s Digest</em></a><em>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA93V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Beauty & Style

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600g premature baby beat the odds thanks to you

<p>Four months ago, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Wellington Children’s Hospital received an urgent call for help. A Wairarapa woman, just 24 weeks into her pregnancy, was bleeding heavily and required an emergency caesarean. Since Wairarapa Hospital is not able to adequately tend to such a premature delivery, it was down to the Wellington Hospital’s flight team to reach the mother and save her baby’s life.</p> <p>Funded by generous donations by people like you, Wellington Children’s Hospitals Neonatal Transport system emulates the environment of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It was able to monitor and adjust the tiny, 600-gram baby’s temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, arterial blood gases, expiratory CO2 levels and oxygen saturation levels throughout the life-saving journey to hospital.</p> <p>Upon landing at Wellington Regional Children’s Hospital, the transport incubator was wheeled straight into the neonatal unit. Thanks to this cutting-edge piece of equipment and specialist Neonatal Doctors and Nurses, the baby, despite arriving 16 weeks early, survived.</p> <p>It’s because of these specialised services that extremely premature babies have greatly increased chances of survival. And, while Wellington Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is considered to be one of the best in Australasia, demand is increasing.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="583" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34079/nz_map_1200x1400_500x583.jpg" alt="NZ_Map _1200x 1400"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The Wellington Children’s Hospital Flight Team operates 24/7 to help save the lives of critically ill babies from within the hospitals service area and beyond. </em></p> <p>Last year, Wellington Hospital’s Medical Flight Teams completed around 400 Air Ambulance baby transfers and 700 inter/intra-hospital road transfers. And, as the population and rate of multiple births increases, these numbers will only continue to grow. That’s why a second transport incubator is desperately needed, so that more than one baby may be transferred at one time – something that will be particularly beneficial for premature twins.</p> <p>As part of its “Little Lives, Big Journeys” appeal, Wellington Hospitals Foundation is calling on the community to help raise $212,000, allowing a second custom-built Transport System to be purchased so the Wellington Hospital Flight Team can continue their essential work of saving these tiny lives in Wellington and beyond.</p> <p>If you are able, why not help out? To make a donation to the “Little Lives, Big Journeys” appeal, <a href="http://whf.org.nz/donate/?utm_source=Over60NZ&amp;utm_campaign=SponsoredContent_March2017" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">click here</span></strong></a>. </p> <p>THIS IS SPONSORED CONTENT BROUGHT TO YOU IN CONJUNCTION WITH <a href="http://whf.org.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">WELLINGTON HOSPITALS FOUNDATION.</span></strong></a></p>

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