The Appeal is aiming to raise £1 million to expand the hospital’s neonatal unit, which looks after babies who are born too early, or with serious medical conditions. Please support us and help more babies like Tom and Harry to grow up happy and healthy.

The very best start in life
Recently, Tom and Harry came back to visit the neonatal unit, where they spent the first few months of their lives. It was hard to imagine that these two lively, active boys were once tiny babies struggling to survive. Born over three months too early in December 2005, weighing barely two pounds each, both boys had to overcome critical health problems before they could finally go home.

Like all babies in the neonatal unit, they faced a whole range of life-threatening problems. They were dependent on round-the-clock care and specialist equipment to support their breathing, vital fluids and medication. They had heart problems and infections. Tom’s condition was so serious that his doctors began to think that he might not survive.

Two years later, both Tom and Harry are happy, healthy, lively and inquisitive. Their parents are full of praise for the care their sons received: “When Tom was at his worst, a nurse stood over him, making him breath,” remembers his mum, Fiona. “When I think about the damage that could have been done without that amazing dedication – if oxygen hadn’t got to his brain – I don’t think we’d be here today without the neonatal unit.”

Help us to help our tiniest patients
In the next few years, we are expecting the number of babies born at the hospital to increase. To make sure that we can respond to every baby who needs our help, we urgently need to expand our facilities, to give our tiniest patients the best possible chance of a strong, healthy life.

The Evelina Appeal is aiming to raise the funds needed to fully equip a new room in the neonatal unit. Over the next two years, we want to raise £1 million, to provide four new cots, incubators and all the dedicated equipment necessary to give the specialist care these babies need. The Evelina Children’s Hospital relies heavily on charitable support, and your help will ensure we can continue to provide truly world class care for all our children.

Please click here to make a gift to the Evelina’s neonatal appeal today.