A BELVOIR family have shown their gratitude to the specialist medical team at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) by fundraising in honour of their daughter Aoibheann. Now nearly ten, Aoibheann is thriving, but faced a challenging start that required her to have neo-natal care at St Munchin’s. “Almost a decade ago this coming October our daughter Aoibheann was born in St Munchin’s Maternity Hospital in Limerick,” outlined mum Orla O’Mara. “Aoibheann needed neo-natal care and she spent four weeks getting first class medical care. As first time parents our emotions were very high. It is incredible how you feel when you are faced with your new born baby needing neo-natal care. You place all your trust in the medical consultants, nurses and midwives and that is what we did. We were beyond fortunate that Aoibheann received such wonderful care from the devoted medical specialists.” Thankfully, little Aoibheann was soon able to leave hospital, under the ongoing care of the paediatric …
Read More »Ennis-based psychiatric nurse issues neo-natal unit appeal
A psychiatric nurse, who works in Ennis Hospital, has issued an appeal to support a regional neo-natal unit that provided vital care to his baby daughter whose chances of survival after birth were rated at just 50%. Mark Blennerhassett has worked as a psychiatric nurse in the Acute Psychiatric Unit at Ennis Hospital for the last six years. Now living in Lisnagry, the South Kerry native has set up a GoFundMe page with his wife, Lisa, which has already raised almost €8,000 for the neo-natal unit at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL). Weighing in at a tiny 506grams or 1lb2oz at 26 weeks gestation on May 28 last, Ella Blennerhassett was the smallest baby born at UHML last year. She showed great courage to make it to her first birthday as her parents nearly lost Ella when she was 16 days old. The couple got a phone call at 5:30am from the neo natal team urging them to come in …
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