When first time Mum, Sophie Smith, held her tiny, triplet baby Henry in her arms, she knew just how precious their time together would be. Henry was born at just 21 weeks, while his brothers Jasper and Evan would arrive, also far too early, just a few weeks later. But as his mother, Sophie, shares in this profoundly inspirational Episode #126 of the Flying Doctor Podcast, Henry and his brothers also lived a truly beautiful life.
For the one hour that Henry was held by his heartbroken parents, he was surrounded by love. Jasper and Evan were born at 24 weeks and were cared for at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick. Sadly, Evan died from a brain bleed after just 10 days, while Jasper (pictured here with Sophie during a precious skin-to-skin moment) lived until he was 58 days old. But all three boys live on in the memories of Sophie and her two teenage sons, Owen and Harvey – and the incredible legacy they have all created.
In honour of her beloved boys and in a bid to ‘pay it forward’, Sophie and her late husband Ash founded the charity Running for Premature Babies in 2007, with the goal of raising desperately needed funds for specialist neo-natal equipment across the country. During the many weeks they spent in hospital with their tiny, premature babies, Sophie and Ash quickly realised that most of the machines that kept their boys alive were donated. They also learned that their hospital, like so many others across the country, relied on fundraising for up to 70% of the equipment in the neo-natal units. And all of that potentially life-saving equipment was in short supply. Sadly, Ash lost his battle with brain cancer in 2016, after defying his doctors and living seven more years than his initial diagnosis dictated. So Sophie courageously continued growing their charity for ALL her lost boys. Today, from urban centres to country hospitals, Sophie’s charity has now raised in excess of $9 million and families from around Australia now participate in a range of fund-raising marathons, park runs and on-line running challenges. To date, over 150 pieces of cutting-edge neonatal equipment has been donated to hospitals Australia-wide, helping to save the lives of over 10,000 babies.
According to statistics supplied by Running for Premature Babies, women living in remote areas, who statistically experience poorer health overall, also have a higher chance of preterm birth. In major cities, 8.4% of babies are born prematurely compared with 13.5% of babies born to mothers who reside in very remote areas. In Australia, there are 24 Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) and 100+ Special Care Nurseries (SCUs), but the majority of these are located in metropolitan areas. Which means that many babies born sick or prematurely in a remote area, will need to be urgently transported to the nearest NICU or SCU, possibly hundreds of kilometres away from their home, by services including the RFDS.
You can find out more about running and fundraising events in your area at Running for Premature Babies
