Praise for Altnagelvin's NICU stafffor care going '˜above and beyond'

Bobby Maguire, from Ballymoney in Co. Antrim, was born nine weeks early on November 8, 2016.

His mother, Chrissie, had developed pre-eclampsia during her pregnancy and Bobby was delivered via emergency Caesarean.

He was immediately transferred to the NICU at the hospital where he received “unbelievable care” from the doctors, nurses and staff.

Bobby is now 20 months old and “doing great,” so Chrissie, along with Bobby’s father John, wanted to thank all those women and men who helped care for him in his first weeks. Along with the help of family and friends, they organised a mud run and raised a phenomenal £3,872 which was presented to staff at the ward recently.

Speaking to the ‘Journal,’ John said they wanted to find some way to say thank you for the care, kindness and support Bobby and they themselves received.

He said: “Bobby was 2lbs 13oz when he was born and wasn’t the smallest in NICU. He struggled at the start but his breathing and bodily functions increased remarkably quickly for all the size of him then. We didn’t expect it really, but we were able to bring him home about a week before Christmas.”

John told how the nurses in NICU cared for Bobby like he was their own.

He said: “They were just fantastic - every single one of them. They are so dedicated and caring to each child. They also made it very personal to us. They always stressed how he was our son and they were going to make sure they did everything they could for him. He wasn’t just a number or another patient to them. He was a little person and that meant a lot.”

John went on to tell how he and Chrissie also received support and comfort from the staff and praised an initiative where a room is provided for parents to stay overnight.

He said: “That’s a huge help when you’re there. You don’t have to worry about booking hotels or accommodation and you’re there to do night feeds.”

John was full of praise for everyone in NICU at Altnagelvin.

He said: “They deserve every credit, in my opinion, Sometimes, you hear people giving out about the NHS, but they don’t realise the work these people are doing. We’d just like to thank everyone at the hospital for the way they treated us. They go above and beyond in their jobs.”