CUH Charity is to hold a special Mother’s Day Lunch on Sunday, 22nd March next month at Radisson Blu Hotel, Little Island, Cork, to raise funds to provide a unique Neonatal Family Sanctum for mothers, babies and families at CUMH (Cork University Maternity Hospital).
The Mother’s Day event promises to be a warm, fun event which celebrates women, motherhood and their pivotal role in all our lives. The organisers are urging Cork people to come out in their numbers and make this a meaningful and memorable day.
The new Neonatal Family Sanctum will facilitate the best possible compassionate, holistic and supportive care for families and their babies during difficult times. Just under 8,000 women delivered babies in the CUMH in 2019. The hospital’s Neonatal Unit (NNU) is a tertiary referral centre and is one of the busiest units in the country. Approximately 1 in 10 of all babies born in CUMH will require admission to the specialised Neonatal Unit. This can be a very distressing time for parents, for example when babies are born very early, and their needs are very complex.
This is when clinical and technical care needs to be surpassed by compassionate, holistic and supportive care. To support this end, the Neonatal Unit wishes to build a multifaceted family sanctum to care for mothers, babies and their families.
The Neonatal Family Sanctum is to comprise of two key areas; a Neonatal Sanctum and a Parent’s Room located nearby.
“Being able to step outside in a quiet dignified space, away from a clinical critical environment, is so important for families. Sharing a small glimpse of nature with an ill or dying baby and seeing the blue sky in a place of quiet solace can be a great comfort during stressful times. The Parent’s Room in a separate private area nearby, will also provide a much-needed oasis of calm and support. Building these important places clearly demonstrates that care of new-borns and their families is at the very core of the service provided by Cork University Maternity Hospital. We welcome support from the people of Cork to help bring this project to fruition” said Professor John R. Higgins, Clinical Director, Ireland South Women & Infants Directorate, who will address the attendees on the day.
