Volunteering with Colourful Beginnings
A couple of weeks ago, I volunteered with Colourful Beginnings (CB), a charity that supports families of premature and sick babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). One of the ways they support is by sending care packages to families during their hospital stay. The aim is to provide some comfort to the families while they are going through this life-changing experience. Items in the care packages include Bonding hearts to help parents bond with their little ones through smell. They are worn against the parents’ skin and placed in the baby's incubator so the baby can have the parents’ smell. They also include the Octopus, which helps improve a premature baby's breathing, regulates his/her heartbeat and blood oxygen levels and makes the baby less likely to pull out the essential tubes and monitors. Some other items in the packages are lactation cookies to help boost breastmilk supply, a NICU journal to document details of the journey and a heartfelt personalised note from Colourful Beginnings founder, Ola Adegbenro. In her words, “As a preemie mum to a 23 and 29 weeker respectively, I have first-hand experience of the NICU journey. I want the families to feel loved, and cherished and to be reminded that they are not alone. They have a whole community cheering them on!”
I have worked with Colourful Beginnings since 2017 and have learnt so much about the NICU journey and the impact of the work they do. One mum’s response to unboxing her care package was, “The level of love and encouragement brought tears to my eyes and I cannot thank you all enough for all that you’re doing.” CB is currently raising funds to deliver seventy care packages in May. Your support would be very much appreciated. Nothing is too small, every penny will go a long way to supporting a NICU family.
Founder of Colourful Beginnings, Ola Adegbenro (centre) with me and three other volunteers put together care packages for families in two NICUs, April 2022
