World Prematurity Day 2024

World Prematurity Day (17th November) is marked globally to raise awareness of premature birth and the impact it can have on families.

Earlier this year, CTM was fortunate to have a virtual tour of the Neonatal Unit at Prince Charles Hospital completed by Aerial Photography Wales.

The 3D tour is fully immersive and allows people to ‘walk through’ the Neonatal Unit and get a feel for what it’s like and the facilities offered. Natalie O’Dell, Infant Feeding Lead/Senior Staff Nurse, commented:

“We understand that when a baby is born premature there is a wave of emotions parents are feeling, including a lot of uncertainty. Our hope with the virtual tour is to demonstrate what to expect in the unit so, if needed, they can familiarise themselves beforehand and alleviate some of their worries. Since launching in April this year, we’ve had over 350 visits to the virtual tour site which is fantastic.”

View the virtual tour of the Neonatal Unit.

Thank you to John Jackson and Jeff Mapps at Future Valleys Construction, FCC Construcción and Aerial Photography Wales for securing and producing the virtual tour.

Earlier this year, Future Valleys Construction fundraised for the Neonatal Unit and raised almost £4,000. This money was used for the virtual reality tour, iPads, and gifts for staff and patients. A spokesperson for Future Valleys Construction shared:

“Future Valleys Construction are carrying out works to improve and widen the A465 between Dowlais and Hirwaun. These works run extremely close to Prince Charles Hospital and many of our staff have witnessed at first hand the fantastic work of the Neonatal Unit. Fundraising for the Unit was a real privilege for our team, with all our staff and suppliers keen to get involved. On visiting the Unit, we could see immediately just how passionate, professional and caring the entire team are. It really is the most special place imaginable and the need for equipment truly resonated with our team. Together we were able to raise over £3,800 for the Unit and it was so good when our professional videographer, Aerial Photography Wales, came on board to help us.”

Dave Powell, Director of Aerial Photography Wales, said:

“This is the first time that we have done a 3D scan of a hospital and it was a refreshing change. I was truly impressed by the professionalism and dedication of the healthcare team, working tirelessly to care for the tiniest of patients. I feel honoured to play a small part in supporting this vital work, producing something that will hopefully be used by many families in the years to come and help prepare them for what’s ahead.” Read more about Aerial Photography Wales' work at PCH.

Any staff or community members looking to fundraise for their local hospitals or services across Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board can do so through the Cwm Taf Morgannwg NHS Charity – please contact ctm.charity@wales.nhs.uk for more information.

17/11/2024