A UKRAINIAN support hub in Cardiff Bay has helped fund a \u00a310,000 incubator for premature babies which will be delivered to the only neonatal unit left standing in Kherson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As postpartum mothers in Ukraine often have to abandon their premature babies on the ward as they run for shelter, this lightweight infant incubator will help reduce the number of unnecessary newborn deaths by providing a portable, regulated environment for the babies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cardiff for Ukraine, a charity located in Cardiff Bay, raised almost \u00a38,000 through fundraising events last year, along with CreditSafe Caerphilly and other individual donors, to fund the \u00a311,500 incubator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group has worked closely with Wendy Warrington, a midwife from Tottington, who has been working as a first responder and supporting newborn babies and their mothers in Poland and Ukraine since Russia\u2019s invasion. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Helen McAdie, one of the founders of Cardiff for Ukraine, explained why they chose to support Wendy in her efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor me, this is massive,” she said. “We\u2019ve already supplied generators to Ukraine, which are always needed because they only have about two to three hours of power a day, which in these freezing conditions is awful. But this incubator is really special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe incubator can be powered by a car battery and is very unique in the way that it can be taken down into a shelter and can be moved into a vehicle if they need to get a baby out quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDuring the last air attacks, babies had to be plucked from these incubators and simply held skin to skin to stay warm. This is a huge risk to these little newborns, which will only worsen as we head into the cold Ukrainian winter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n