Nutriday, a zinc fortified yoghurt by Fan Milk, made donations last Sunday to support a Mother’s Day charity at the neonatal intensive care unit at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua.
They supported NICU Soldiers, a non-profit organisation, to celebrate mothers and health workers at the unit for their relentless efforts to ensure the survival of the babies on admission.
The Founder of NICU Soldiers, Afia Akese, and her team shared lunch packs and Nutriday yoghurt drinks to the mothers and the health workers as a show of appreciation on behalf of the sick babies. NICU Soldiers also paid the bill of a parent whose ward was on admission, and gave a special gift to the mother of the baby who had spent the longest period at the unit.
Ms. Akese said the Mother’s Day charity was a prelude to the organisation’s main annual fundraiser expected to be launched in July this year. She said NICU Soldiers raised GH¢40,000 in its Scones for Life campaign last year to support babies on oxygen at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital through the sale of pastries to the public.
This year, she said the Eastern Regional Hospital would be the main beneficiary institution of the organisation’s fundraising activities.
Ms. Akese commended the health workers at the unit for their dedication and hard work, and appealed to them to continue the fight for the survival of the babies on admission.
“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. There are many parties by churches and other groups celebrating mothers on such a day but these ones have no option than to stay by the cots of their babies throughout the day. Our modest donation is to make them feel loved, let them know we appreciate their efforts and to put a smile on their faces. I am grateful to Nutriday – our sponsors – for making this event a success,” she said.
Dr. Francis Mensa Akwetey, a Specialist Paediatrician at the unit, thanked NICU Soldiers for putting smiles on the faces of the distressed mothers on such an occasion.
“We really 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,” he said.
