NHS charity buys soft toys for Special Care Baby Unit

Thanks to local donations, Hywel Dda Health Charities has purchased soft toys to comfort new mums and their babies separated because of medical transfers.

In the Special Care Baby Unit at Glangwili Hospital, babies are, on occasion, separated from their parents because of transfer to another unit for more specialist care.

In some cases, it is many days before parents can be reunited with their new arrivals.

To help during this separation, identical soft toys are provided for mum and baby, as a little keepsake.

Sandra Pegram, Unit Manager, said: “Our aim is to get parents back together with their babies as quickly as possible. If there has to be a separation this can be really difficult for new mums.

“The soft toys are a comfort and aid a little with the separation. Identical toys are given to mum and baby and when they are reunited, then parents often put the toys together or give one to an older sibling. Parents have told us that the soft toys make a real difference.”

Cuddly puppies, lambs, bunnies, dinosaurs, monkeys and unicorns from soft toy-maker Jellycat have been provided for the Unit.

Pictured with some of the toys are (from left) Nursery Nurse Sioned James, Unit Manager Sandra Pegram and Practice Educator Catrin Johns.