Tuesday 5 April 2011

Lets Keep Our World Turning

Photo: thehobergs717.blogspot.com
Today I was lucky enough to spend the morning at Auckland Hospital, helping out in their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) which is where babies who are premature or need extra care will go after birth. Around about 2% of the population will require NICU care, and the survival rates are amazing - up to 85% for a baby born 24 weeks gestation (full term is 40 weeks)

They have around 80 - 90 babies per month admitted to NICU, some staying for many weeks. Its an amazing environment focused on providing a caring environment for the families of the babies in NICU.

It was hugely obvious that these organisations are incredibly dependent on volunteers, corporate sponsorship and fundraising/donations from the public. The very latest technology won't come from government funding alone - and if it is your baby that is in NICU, you sure as hell want the best technology and staff to give your baby the absolute best chance of survival.


Photo: www.litterdidyouknow.org

I've also been involved in other charitable organisations in the past such as being the co president of the Auckland Central Multiple Birth Club which provides support for parents of twins, triplets or more, and a volunteer at Auckland SPCA helping adopting cats and kittens one Saturday morning each month. Both those roles were rewarding in different ways, but both give you that 'feel good' feeling of knowing you've done good.

Working, kids, supermarket, family, homework, sport, housework, gym, driving,  emails, Skype, Facebook updates, sleep...... does that sound familiar to anyone? How do you find that time to give your increasingly precious time or resources to charitable organisations? The Canterbury earthquake showed the amazing community spirit that exists in NZ and it takes a huge and important event like that to uncover this and remind us how we are all living in a village and we need each other.

We make the world go round. Each and every one of us. And one day it will be your turn to need the help of one of these organisations and you'll be incredibly thankful for the volunteers who made that sacrifice and gave up some of their precious time for others.

Do your bit and help keep our world turning.    
 
        

No comments:

Post a Comment