On 23rd November 2023, Ava Grace Driver was born 8 weeks prematurely. Ava had to spend 32 days on the Calderdale Neonatal Unit before being allowed home on Christmas Eve. Jake Driver, Ava's father, works at Brighouse based Pennine Pneumatic Services Ltd (PPS), who have made an amazing donation of £2,000 to CHFT Charity in aid of the unit in recognition of the fantastic support and care given to the family during their time on the ward.
Dan said: "We went for what we thought was a routine check-up and Ava arrived 24 hours later via emergency C-section, weighing less than 3lbs and not much bigger than the palm of my hand.
"All the staff on the neonatal ward were amazing throughout our journey, they gave Ava all the support she needed, as well as helping Rachel and myself through the toughest of times, we honestly can't thank them enough for what they did for us.
"To take her home on Christmas Eve was the best present ever, the fact we got to wake up with our little girl on Christmas Day in our own home was incredible because when you're on the ward, you can't see the end.
"Ava is doing great now, she weighs over 11lbs and has learnt how to smile, giggle and shout when she wants something, she has us wrapped around her little finger! We had a 3 month check up with the doctor recently and they are impressed with how she is doing."
The Calderdale Neonatal Unit has 20 cots, three for intensive care, three for high dependency care and 14 for special care. The team on the unit are planning to use the donation from PPS to upgrade the breast pumps available on the ward and ensure there is one per cot. Breastmilk is important at any age but even more so for premature babies as it can help protect babies from infections, it contains hormones and nutrients that help babies to grow and it can be more easily digested than formula milk. When babies are too small or too sick to feed themselves, breast pumps are a vital piece of kit.
Neonatal Ward Manager, Wendy Kilner, said: "The donation has enabled the unit to purchase additional breat pumps enabling mums to express breast milk at home and then bring the milk into the unit. We really appreciate support from the community in helping the unit provide resources for parents to help them cope with this difficult time. Everyone from PPS can be assured that their donation is being put to good use and will impact on the experience of many families on the neonatal unit. Thank you!"
CHFT Charity is very grateful for this donation and we would like to say a special thanks to PPS for helping future patients.
