NICU Soldiers’ Give To Mothers

NICU Soldiers, an advocacy blog that focuses on the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), celebrated Mothers’ Day with mothers whose babies were on admission at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua.

The event, supported by Nutriday, a zinc fortified yoghurt manufactured by Fan Milk Limited, was to celebrate the mothers nursing their sick babies and health workers at the unit.

The Founder of NICU Soldiers, Efia Akese, and her team shared lunch packs and Nutriday yoghurt with the mothers and health workers at the hospital.

A mother whose baby has been at the unit for the longest period, Charity Blagogee, also received a special gift in addition to the items shared.

Ms. Akese applauded the health workers at the unit for their dedication and hard work and urged them to continue the good work for humanity.

She said the organisation chose the occasion to celebrate the mothers and health workers for their love and care for the sick newborns.

“Having experienced the NICU twice, I understand the challenges mothers at the unit go through, and I can imagine how difficult it is for them, especially on Mothers’ Day,” she said.

“There are many parties by churches and other groups celebrating mothers on such a day but these have no option than to stay by the cots of their babies throughout the day,” Ms. Akese stated.

She said the modest donations were to make them feel loved, and expressed gratitude to Nutriday for supporting the event.

Ms. Akese said her organisation had selected the Eastern Regional Hospital as the beneficiary of its fundraising activities for the year, adding that the Mother’s Day donation was a prelude to the organisation’s main fundraiser which would be launched in July.

“Last year, we raised GHc40,000 in the “Scones for Life” campaign to support babies on oxygen at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital through the sale of pastries to the public. From July to November, we are hoping to raise funds to buy some equipment for this unit,” she added.

Dr. Francis Mensa Akwetey, a Specialist Paediatrician at the unit expressed gratitude to NICU Soldiers for the gesture.

“We appreciate what you have done for our mothers here. Today is Mothers’ Day, and we are celebrating mothers all over the world but these mothers are here taking care of their sick babies.

“It is nice for you to think about these mothers who could not be at their churches or homes to be celebrated,” Dr. Akwetey said.