Babies breathe easier thanks to donation

Thanks to a generous donation of £15,000, babies in the neonatal unit at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital can breathe a little easier.

The neonatal unit, which admits on average 240 babies a year and cares for babies born from just 27 weeks, have purchased a new infant ventilator, which can provide both invasive and non-invasive ventilation depending on the varying needs of the infant.

The equipment cost £28,000 and was purchased with help from the donation made by Trevor Goodall and his organisation New Life – a charity raising money for special care neonatal units. Trevor founded the charity in 1995 in memory of his sons Joshua and Samuel. His twin boys were born three months early weighing just 1lb 1oz and 1lb 3oz and sadly both died one week later.

To date Trevor and his volunteers have raised in excess of £500,000, helping Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital as well as other hospitals including those in Swindon and Oxford.

Trevor said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be able to support the neonatal unit at Basingstoke hospital and know the difference this will make to families. The care the staff provide on the unit is fantastic and we are so happy to support the Trust.”

One of the volunteers who has previously helped Trevor to raise funds for neonatal units up and down the country, Giannina Amor, joined Trevor at Basingstoke hospital to celebrate the donation after her baby had recently been cared for in the neonatal unit.