Premmie Day

Premmie Day!

Wear green! 

Spend a few dollars

and buy green wristbands. 

The money raised will be used

to help charities

helping support Aussie babies.  

 Each year, about 45 000

Aussie babies spend time

in a neonatal intensive care unit.

  A premature baby – or a premmie,

is born before 37 weeks gestation.

  In Australia, about 8%

of babies are born prematurely. 

About 15% of babies need the help

 of an intensive care unit. 

Not surprisingly,

facts and figures don’t cut it

 when it comes to tiny, tiny babies...

tied down to beeping machines,

with tubes stuck down

their small nostrils and tiny mouths...

 wrinkled skin scrunched tight

with sticky tape

and a huge plastic cage

keeping everyone out... 

babies struggling every day...

 every hour...

every minute. 

I remember looking

with longing at the room

where the bigger, healthier babies

could be held freely

by their families... 

I remember watching the time

 and marking off

another day of life... 

 I remember dumplings! 

 And baklava! 

I remember the smell

of the hand sanitiser

and the feel of a tiny hand.

  I remember the first cuddle

– a sneaky cuddle

when the nurse wasn’t looking. 

I remember the songs –

so important back then

“I’m coming home”

and “Been a long time”. 

 I remember the days

when the news was bad

and the days when we could

 enjoy a little celebration.

And now... he’s home. 

 He’s gorgeous. 

 He’s a battler

and his life will be tough,

but he will teach us so many things

 as we trample through

 this life together.

Premmie Day

may once have slipped by

without my noticing it...

but we’re Premmie Families now. 

Wear green for the Premmies.

  Premmie Webpages: 

lilaussieprems, National Premmie Foundation, Miracle Babies, Life’s Little Treasures, AustPrem and facebook.

Photos from my sister’s webpage

"From little things,

big things grow."