November is Prematurity Awareness Month and we would like to raise awareness for beautiful prems and their families from birth and beyond. It is a marathon and not a race- and the effects are felt throughout families for years and sometimes for life. The Grantley Stable Neonatal Unit (Intensive Care) at the RBWH saved our beautiful Louella when she was born at 28 weeks with sepsis and just 910g at her smallest. Please help us give back to the NICU and help us to thank the selfless healthcare professionals who we will spend our lives being grateful for. Our Lou has many deficits and life keeps throwing her curveballs but we are adamant she will in time overcome them all. She has extensive physical and developmental delays, severe social anxiety and will scream relentlessly when out of the house. The journey can be very isolating. She has a team that includes a paediatrician, OT, Physio, music therapist and speech pathologist. She has walking aids and a special suit to help her poor tone and we are heavily funded by NDIS. We are indebted to the NICU and consider ourselves profoundly grateful to them for saving her life and holistically supporting our family. The prem journey is rough- we lost friends and family and gained them; and at times it is overwhelming and oh-so lonely. Our older children were deeply affected by Lou’s birth; and we all continue to heal every day. The constant hospital, therapists and appointments are exhausting and so frightening at times. If we can raise awareness of preterm labour and the prematurity journey- and prevent even one early arrival- we will be over the moon. Louella is a very strong and spirited two year old who is teaching us far more than we will ever teach her and we are so grateful for her. Please dig deep and help us give back!