A year after the birth of her premature daughter a mum has launched an impassioned appeal for Sunshine Coasters to get behind the region’s biggest health fundraiser.
It takes a lot to faze mother of five Jess Sumpton, but she tears up when asked about the support her family has received since the birth of Nellie eleven weeks before her due date.
“Just please get behind Give Me 5, I get emotional every time, it just helps so many families in need that have sick children,” Jess said.
“We’re just so grateful for all the support we’ve had.”
Jess and Nellie captured the hearts of people on the Sunshine Coast a year ago when they shared their story of courage and hope.
A pregnant Jess contracted an infection from a bacteria many adults carry in their bodies and the Group B Streptococcus turned septic and spread to her womb, putting her child in danger.
Doctors decided the baby needed to be delivered, and at 29 weeks Nellie made an early entrance into this world at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH).
Weighing just 1.6 kilograms, Nellie had a bubble in her lung and they had to put a tube into her to save her life – the first of many medical interventions in the first couple of weeks, a time when Jess and husband James couldn’t even hold their baby as she had to stay in the humidicrib.
Twelve months on – life is good.
“Nellie is back and forth just with respiratory issues,” Jess said.
“But other than that, she's thriving. It's just every time she gets sick, it's just a little bit extra than what a full-term baby has.”
Looking back at the past year she’s so grateful for all the doctors and nurses at SCUH, and that Nellie didn’t have to travel to Brisbane for care.
“Just grateful for how much support we've had,” she said.
“If we had to drive to Brisbane, I don't know what we would have done, having the four boys and everything. So, so grateful.
“If we had to be in Brisbane for her, I can't even think of how we'd cope.”
Significantly, two of the pieces of equipment this year’s fundraiser aims to purchase would have made Nellie’s stay at SCUH a little easier.
An ultrasound in the paediatric unit will allow seriously ill newborns to get their scans in-house, while CO2 monitors will allow blood tests without needles, saving many babies from blood transfusions.
SCUH Director of Neonatology Dr Lizelle Weber said the equipment will help keep critically ill newborn babies close to their families as they will not require retrieval for cardiac ultrasounds, and also help SCUH to establish a local Paediatric Cardiology service on the Sunshine Coast.
“The big reason we're after this machine is that we have about 1200 children who travel from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane yearly for the cardiac investigations and follow up,” Dr Weber said.
“The long-term aim with getting this piece of equipment is standing up a service for those kids to be seen locally."
Along with the new equipment, the fundraiser will also support mental health programs for children and accommodation and travel support for families needing extended hospital stays.
With a packed month of incredible community events, 2025 promises to be one of the biggest campaigns yet for Give Me 5.
92.7 MIX FM Give Me 5 Wish List:
- A $267,000 Paediatric Cardiology Ultrasound Machine to benefit premature and seriously ill babies.
- A $18,600 Non-Invasive CO2 Monitoring Machine for critically unwell or premature newborns.
- Continuation of Dads Group at Wishlist Centre to support new dads and keep families together.
- Continuation of the Sunshine Coast Clown Doctors service.
- Continuation of the Calm Fairies service at SCUH.
- Wishlist Therapy Dogs.
- Hospital accommodation to keep families together during a health crisis.
