Thanking those who saved their daughters life | Latest news

“Looking back, we truly believe that decision saved our daughter’s life.”

The parents of a baby girl who was born ten weeks prematurely at Nottingham University Hospitals have thanked those that cared for them during a crucial time in their daughter’s life.

Surprising her parents with an early arrival, Avery arrived ten weeks early in March 2026 at Nottingham City Hospital, weighing just 3lb 1oz (1.4kg).

Avery’s mum, Alison, from Sherwood has recently written to the Trust to thank the team who looked after her and brought her daughter into the world safely.

Alison said: “From the moment I rang triage to explain that I had noticed reduced movements, I was immediately advised to attend for assessment.

“The member of staff I spoke to on the phone was so understanding, supportive, clear and reassuring, while also being appropriately assertive in ensuring that I came to triage straight away.”

Following this advice, Alison left work straight away and attended triage with her husband, Ryan.

Unfortunately, at Alison’s initial assessment it became clear that Avery’s heartbeat was abnormal and so they were moved to the labour suite, where Alison and her baby could be monitored more closely.

Alison said: “Everything happened really quickly, but each step was explained clearly and everyone we saw offered support and reassurance that I was in the right place.

“Everyone was so compassionate, we knew something was wrong and I was given a moment to have a cry - that kindness meant so much to me.”

Alison explained that consultant, Mr Andrew Simm, was also an integral part of her journey.

She said: “He scanned our baby late that Monday night and, although the scan itself was completely normal, he carefully ‘safety-netted’ us and explained that I needed to attend Day Assessment the following day.

“Looking back, we truly believe that decision saved our daughter’s life. Had we not been advised to attend Day Assessment, our baby would have continued to struggle with oxygen deprivation and, ultimately, we may not have had her here with us today. We are eternally grateful for his thoroughness, care and instinct to ensure we were followed up.”

When the family returned to Day Assessment the following day, they were cared for again by the same midwife, Zara, who had seen them the previous day.

Alison said: “She really advocated for me to be sent back to the labour suite because the monitoring remained abnormal.

“We are so grateful for her care and for trusting her instincts that something was not right. She ensured that we were sent to the right place, to see the right people, at the right time.”

A further scan and monitoring were then carried out over the next few days on labour suite.

The family were prepared for the early birth of their daughter and got to meet with an anaesthetist to discuss the potential outcomes, a neonatal doctor who explained the NICU process, and the surgeon who would carry out the caesarean section with everything explained to them.

Alison said: “Having the opportunity to meet these people and understand what might happen was invaluable.

“It gave us time to process what was happening and equipped us with the knowledge we needed when delivery eventually became inevitable. Every member of staff we met showed such kindness, compassion and understanding during what was an unexpected, traumatic and incredibly emotional time for us.”

Alison and her family would also like to say a very special thank you to Dr Pippa for carrying out the caesarean section and for being so thorough with the monitoring that led to the decision to deliver.

After the delivery of Avery, Alison was transferred to Lawrence Ward at City Hospital to recover.

She said: “A wonderful midwife, Libby, ensured that I was given a side room whilst on Lawrence Ward. She understood how difficult it would be for me to be surrounded by mothers and their newborn babies when my own baby was in the neonatal unit.

“That small, but incredibly thoughtful decision, made such a difference to me and was instrumental in helping me recover while our daughter began her neonatal journey. 

“One midwife even gave our eldest daughter a blanket and two little knitted love hearts for her to give to her new baby sister when she met her for the first time in NICU. It is acts of kindness like this that made an incredibly difficult experience feel more bearable and, in some ways, even beautiful.

“Every member of staff who cared for me on the ward before I was moved to a transitional care room on Neonatal showed such empathy and understanding of what was a very difficult and frightening time in our lives.

“They made sure I received the care I needed to recover so that I could be with our baby in neonatal. We are immensely grateful to every one of them.”

Alison also praised their experience in neonatal care at City Hospital.

She said: “It is difficult to put into words how deeply grateful we are for the way the neonatal team cared for our daughter and for us as a family. They treated us with such care, compassion and patience, explaining everything so clearly and supporting us every single day.

“Most importantly, they always made us feel that we were at the very centre of our daughter’s care. 

“We are grateful to the NICU nurses who let us cry on them when we were scared; the nurses who saved special first moments so that we could be involved; those who patiently built our confidence so that we could feed, care for and hold our daughter; those who simply listened to our worries and answered our endless questions with empathy; and those who helped us feel like her parents rather than visitors.

“One day, we will tell Avery about all the neonatal nurses and about how they cared so deeply for her.”

Alison also wanted to acknowledge the additional support she received both from the breastfeeding specialist and the mental health support team.

She added: “The Neonatal Homecare Team also ensured a safe and smooth transition from hospital to home. We felt fully supported throughout this time and were given the time, help and advice we needed to adjust to life at home.

“The follow-up care and ongoing support made such a difference as we transitioned from NICU and began life at home together.”

Sharon Wallis, Director of Midwifery at NUH said: “This is such lovely feedback to receive and we are so pleased that Alison and her family had such a positive experience with us.

“We know we don’t always get things right, but this is a shining example of how excellent care can make such an impact.”