Mum becomes advocate for charity after premmie birth

From left, Matthew’s eight-year-old son, Acklen, Matthew holding Wyatt and Chrissy. Wyatt is now nine months old actual, and 5 months and 3 weeks corrected (based on his due date).

by Janine Hill

CHRISSY Gronbek had got to know the walls of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit well in the long days at hospital following the premature birth of her tiny, tiny son.

Wyatt had been born at only 25 weeks and six days – more than three months early - weighing 794g.

The staff had barely had time to man their battle stations in the birthing suite when he arrived in the middle of the night in January and thrust Chrissy into the premmie world.

“I was quite hungry for information and in the NICU ward, there’s lots of signs around about Life’s Little Treasures.”

Chrissy asked for an LLT information pack. She and her husband, Matthew went on the list for a regular visitor from Life’s Little Treasures. “Melissa, a volunteer from LLT, just arrived fortnightly and offered the chance to speak with no pressure,” Chrissy said.

“We were long-termers. Every couple that was (a long-termer), she would come in and if you wanted to chat, you chatted, and if you didn’t, she didn’t.  

“She was another NICU warrior. She knew where we were coming from.”

LLT provided an activity book for Matthew’s eight-year-old son, Acklen, and a breakfast pack also helped Chrissy get through a busy day at hospital when she had not had time to eat.

After 124 days, which included life-saving surgery for a perforated bowel at five days old, Wyatt was able to go home to Nambour and has continued to improve. 

The oxygen tube is now for night-time only and Chrissy hopes that a feeding tube will be gone by the time he starts daycare in January.

Wyatt was named an ambassador for Life’s Little Treasures and the family participated in LLT’s Walk for Prems in Brisbane on the weekend (Sunday 22 October). On the eve of the walk they had already raised more than $11,000 after setting a $4000 goal.

“We’ve proud of what we’ve achieved for LLT because they gave so much to us. We are so proud to play an important role in sharing Wyatt’s story and bringing awareness to the cause,” Chrissy said. “Every donation counts, no matter how much and will be matched by Access4.”

To support the family’s fundraising, go to https://www.walkforprems.org.au/my-fundraising/5581/wyatts-walk-for-prems