Grateful: Two breast pumps and milk warmers valued at $10,000 were donated to Port Macquarie Base Hospital by the Prowse-Pollard family, pictured with special care nursery staff. From left: CNE Lauren Jusic, Special Care Nursery Midwife Kay Radley, Camilla Pollard, Stuart Pollard, Tara Prowse, Eloise Pollard, Child and Family Health Nurse Chelsea Robinson, and Acting Maternity Educator Kamara Walkling.
Generous donation supports newborns and new parents
Aug 29, 2024On Friday 23 August Port Macquarie Base Hospital Maternity Unit’s Special Care Nursery hosted four special guests whose generosity means mums and sick and premature babies will have greater access to medical-grade feeding equipment.
Tara Prowse and Stuart Pollard generously donated $10,000 worth of specialised breast pumps and milk warmers, which will assist in caring for newborns and support mothers during their hospital stay.
Tara and Stuart’s motivation for the donation comes from a deeply personal experience.
Their twin daughters, Camilla and Eloise, were born prematurely at 28 weeks at Royal North Shore Hospital and spent their early weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit.
“We were overwhelmed by the level of equipment needed to keep our girls alive,” said Stuart.
“It was incredible to see that nearly every piece of lifesaving equipment carried the Humpty logo, and we were humbled by the foundation’s role in providing critical care tools.”
Tara and Stuart chose to give back by raising funds for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation which has provided essential paediatric medical equipment to hospitals across Australia for more than 30 years.
The couple, and their now two-year-old daughters, participated in the Humpty Dumpty Balmoral Burn, a Sydney charity event started by Australian rugby legend Phil Kearns, whose children also benefitted from lifesaving care thanks to Royal North Shore Hospital and the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.
“It’s something we will do every year,” Tara said.
“We owe it to the girls and Humpty, to support them for supporting us.”
With support from friends, family, and colleagues, the family raised $127,000, which will fund paediatric medical equipment for several hospitals, including Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
Tara, a former Port Macquarie local, selected the Special Care Nursery and Maternity Unit among their beneficiaries after noticing its need for breast pumps and milk warmers on the Humpty Dumpty Foundation’s wish list.
“I spent countless hours using the Medela breast pumps and milk warmers during the three months our girls were in the hospital,” said Tara.
“It’s wonderful to know that our donation will help other mothers access this equipment when they need it most.”
Port Macquarie Base Hospital’s Clinical Nurse Educator for the Special Care Nursery, Lauren Jusic, expressed her gratitude for the donation.
“We are deeply thankful for these Medela breast pumps and Calesca milk warmers, which will give mothers greater access to the equipment they need to provide breast milk for their sick or premature babies. These donations are truly invaluable to our unit.”