Twins Amelia and Alannah Quinlivan age 1 from Limerick City pictured at the Prem Party at Dreamland, Limerick, today. Picture: Brian Arthur
Prem Party Helps Raise Funds for Busy Limerick Neonatal Unit
A reunion with a difference has taken place at Limerick’s Dreamland with a party for premature babies delivered at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL).
The ‘Prem Party’ event reunited children who have graduated from the Neonatal Unit at University Maternity Hospital Limerick and is part of the annual 95-Stop Tour for Limerick Kids run by Limerick’s Live 95FM. Over €600,000 has been raised for Limerick children through the campaign over the past eight years and in 2018 the beneficiaries are the Children’s Ark, University Hospital Limerick; the Neo-Natal Unit at the Maternity Hospital; CARI Limerick and Cliona’s Foundation.”
advertisement
advertisement
Wayne and Lisa Fenton from Ros Mor, Limerick with their quadruplets Alex, Max, Kayla and Ashley pictured at the Prem Party at Dreamland, Limerick, Picture: Brian Arthur
“Limerick’s Live 95FM are delighted to be involved with these fantastic causes. I am so happy with the amount that was announced today and knowing that it all goes to ill and vulnerable children in Limerick is an incredible achievement for everyone at Limerick’s Live95FM and for everyone in Limerick who contributed. I am overwhelmed by the support we received and cannot thank enough each and every person who contributed to the success of this year’s 95 Stop Tour’” said Nichola Quinn, Limerick’s Live 95FM’s 95 Stop Tour Co-ordinator.
Fundraising over the last 9 years has been invaluable to the Children’s Ark Unit who have been able to purchase valuable critical care equipment, to provide appropriate care to children in the Mid-West.
On Tuesday, September 25, The Prem Party hosted babies and toddlers discharged from the Neonatal Unit in recent years for lots of family fun.
The Neonatal Unit at UMHL is one of a number of busy specialised units in the country, with close to 700 admissions every year. There are now approximately 4,700 births at UMHL annually and the hospital has among the best perinatal statistics in the country.
The Neonatal Unit at UMHL has 19 cots but often caters for more babies. It provides neonatal intensive care, high dependency and special care to premature and sick babies of the Mid-West, from 23 weeks of gestation upwards.
Speaking about ‘The Prem Party’ and the support of Limerick’s Live 95FM listeners, Prof. Roy Philip, Consultant Neonatologist, said:
“Extremely premature babies can often spend months in our Neonatal Unit and their parents get to know the staff and other families in similar circumstances so well by the time of discharge. This is a party for the children born prematurely and their families to have fun and to share their precious stories and we would like to thank Dreamland for hosting it today. It is a humbling experience and proud feeling for the nursing and medical staff to see the little babies born from 24 weeks now running around as mischievous toddlers! Kind donations from the generous people of Midwest over the years truly made a difference to their care with the purchase of vital equipment and improvement of the facilities which we offer.”
For more information, go here.
For more stories like this, go here.
