Sabrina Melvin from Duxford organised the charity event based on the hot Zumba dance craze to thank staff for the care her daughter Ella received in June in the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at the Rosie after she was born two weeks early. Sabrina also organised a raffle at the event and Big Push campaign mascot Rosie Rabbit made a special appearance.
Sabrina was delighted by the support that she and Ella received when her planned caesarean section was brought forward. To show her appreciation, she enlisted qualified Zumba fitness instructor Katie Drew, also from Duxford, to lead the workout.
Afterwards Sabrina said: “We had an amazing day and really enjoyed raising the money.I’m tired but very happy – Katie got the crowd pumped up into a fantastic party mood. I’m so grateful to everyone that got involved by dancing and buying raffle tickets plus all the local businesses that kindly supported us.”
Sabrina added: “I was really pleased too that my mum Amanda Johnston was there both to offer moral support and to present a batch of cosy hand-knitted hats, gloves and blankets for the tiny babies in the Special Care Baby Unit. She and her colleagues at the Ministry of Defence Police have been knitting non-stop since June!”
“Trudy Harper, ACT Community Fundraising Manager for the Rosie Hospital Campaign, said: “A very big thanks to everyone who got involved. It’s wonderful to see new mums like Sabrina setting up events like this that are such good fun. Everyone who took part can take pride in knowing that they will be helping to make a difference to local families for many years to come.”
The Big Push for the Rosie Hospital Campaign to raise an additional £150,000 from the local community is being managed by ACT, the dedicated charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals. To find out more please go to: www.therosiecampaign.org.uk or call 01223 217757.
About the Rosie Hospital Campaign
The Rosie Hospital is recognised as one of the finest maternity hospitals in the country. Supported by charitable funding, the Rosie opened in 1983, since when much has changed. It was designed for approximately 4,000 births a year. In 2010-11 almost 5,800 babies were born at the Rosie and by 2020 that number is expected to increase to 7,500.
The new three-storey extension that is opening in September 2012 will almost double the size of the existing maternity unit and mean the Rosie can continue to offer pregnant women, their families and new babies the very best standard of care. New facilities include:
· A brand new midwife-led birth centre with ten en-suite rooms for women with a low risk pregnancy
· An expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with 58 cots for babies born early or in need of specialist attention
· A new ‘home from home’ accommodation with eight en-suite bedrooms, a rest area and kitchen for parents that have babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
· A new Fetal Medicine and Day Assessment Unit for monitoring pregnant women and fetal development
· A dedicated counselling suite offering professional support when outcomes are not as planned.
For patients and staff these new world-class resources will make an enormous day-to-day difference. With extra space available, staff will be able to help more women give birth in the comfort of their local hospital. The transformed Rosie will be a regional centre of clinical excellence for training and will aim to set new standards of care by advancing antenatal and neonatal development through research.
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