This Mother’s Day, CW+, the charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, was delighted to receive a generous donation from the Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity of Cuski Miniboos for the mothers of tiny babies in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The Miniboos, which are small cloth comforters, designed to help soothe a baby and encourage bonding between parent and baby, were distributed by the Nursing Team in the hospital’s NICU as a special Mother’s Day gift. The Miniboo is placed into Mum (or Dad’s) top, and then into the incubator so that the baby can smell their parent. This is so important when babies cannot be held, allowing a safe and effective way to bond, as well as stimulating breast milk production.
Purvi Patel, Neonatal Baby Friendly Co-ordinator at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “These special Cuski Miniboos are such a wonderfully thoughtful gesture that have been hugely appreciated by our Mum’s at what can be a difficult time. We were delighted to mark Mother’s Day in such a unique way, and we are incredibly grateful to Ickle Pickles for their kind and generous donation.”
Kerry Huntington, Fundraising Director at CW+, said: “We are so very grateful to Ickle Pickles for their support and for the generous donation of Cuski Miniboos. Mother’s Day can be particularly hard when you have a baby in NICU, but the Miniboos have been gladly received by our Mum’s, bringing a little comfort to them on this poignant day.”
Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity has previously supported CW+ and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s newly expanded NICU, which officially opened last year after extensive renovations. The charity purchased some equipment for the unit prior to and during the large refurbishment, and the donations of Miniboos are yet another kind gesture.
Rachael Marsh, Co-Founder of the Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity said: “We are delighted to gift the Cuski Miniboos to mums on the unit to strengthen the bond between mum and baby and help soothe small babies when alone in their incubators. As Mum to a premmie, I remember how tough it was being away from my baby especially overnight – I wish I’d had a Cuski Miniboo when my baby was first born.”
