Boost for hospital's neonatal unit as company donates £1,000 to support hard work

Glen Hyland nominated Sunderland Royal Hospital’s Neonatal Unit for a £1,000 donation from Barratt Developments North East’s Community Fund as a thank you for the support he and his wife received with the birth of their premature twins earlier this year.

Approximately one in 10 newborn babies needs specialist support, with around 2% of those babies requiring intensive care.

The Sunderland Royal Neonatal Unit helps babies from as far afield as Cumbria who need help to recover from many needs, including premature birth, low weight, infections and more, while also offering support to family members throughout the entire process.

Vicky Mitchell, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust’s Divisional Director for Family Care, was delighted with the gift and said it would please staff in the unit.

She said: “We are very grateful to Barratt Developments for their generous donation,” she said.

“Our Neonatal Unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital cares for pre-term and sick babies from Sunderland and South Tyneside, as well as babies needing the highest levels of care who are transferred from as far away as Carlisle and Whitehaven.

"Our dedicated specialist doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners provide the highest standard of neonatal care in a family-orientated environment and it is wonderful when they receive positive feedback.

“This donation is a great morale boost for the staff and we will put the money to good use for the benefit of families.”

Glyn, who is Commercial Manager at Barratt Developments North East’s Cherry Tree Park development in St Benedict’s Way, Ryhope, added: “I’m over the moon that Barratt is donating a Community Fund to the Neonatal Unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

"With the premature birth of my twins, I witnessed first hand the incredible work and commitment of the staff, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their support and dedication meant the world to myself and my wife.

"We hope that the donation will help the unit to assist more families who shared a similar experience to my own across the Sunderland area.”

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