Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining me on the line is Lee.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Now.
Speaker 3 (00:02):
Lee had a had her baby and had a three
month stay in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Good morning to you, Lee, Hi, good morning, Thanks so
much for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Lee.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
How early was your bub born?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
She was twenty six weeks back in twenty ten.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Oh wow, that is such It's so early. It must
have been quite frightening for you.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yeah, it was a pretty horrendous time in our life.
I have to say. She weighed seven hundred and eighty
three grams and my wedding rings set up her thigh,
so she was very tiny.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Oh my goodness, me, Lee, I cannot even imagine, you know,
some of the emotions, some of the fear that you
must have felt when your bub was born and so early.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, and the next unexpected nature of it was what
really kind of flawed us. She was our first baby,
and I honestly didn't know that the NICU world existed
until I had her so early, and we were thrust
(01:17):
into that world. So I can only imagine. There was
a time when she was really unwell where there was
conversation about her having to be sent to Royal Melbourne
because she was too unwell for the local NICU team
to treat her that she was too unwell to send.
(01:38):
Luckily for us and thanks to the NICKU angels as
I like to call them, because they do an amazing
job and I'm forever grateful to them, she pulled through
and we didn't have to. So our ninety two days
of her being in hospital from was based here in
(02:02):
the Darwen Loy Darwin Hospital.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
So, Lee, Look, there's a couple of things that I'm
taking from what you've just said there when I look
at the cut to these services and I know that
you know, by the sounds of it, it seems as
though it's temporary and they're they're trying to, you know,
to to do various different things. But first off, the
fact that you said that that for your child, that
they went through a they went through a stage where
(02:27):
they were really quite unwell and wouldn't have been able
to travel. You know, that makes me now question, well,
what happens if there is another family that's in the
situation that you guys were in, you know, all those
years ago, and they're not they're not able to be
cared for here.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Absolutely, and you know, it does happen there is definitely
the need for a baby to be sent into States.
From my understanding from my time back then, you know,
it doesn't happen too and the hospital is extremely experienced
with the air transport team and all of that kind
of thing. I have no concern about the hospital's intentions
(03:11):
or the transport or anything like that. For me, my
main concern is if you so, any woman who's pregnant
in Darwin at this time who goes into emergency labor
or spontaneous labor prior to thirty two weeks, all of
(03:32):
them are looking down the gauntlet of having to go
into stage because of the lack of doctors who are
able to intubate and whatever else that CAP had said.
But the other thing about that is, and also so
(03:54):
they said about intubator babies and babies on seapap, which
is breathing assistance. Now, our daughter was on sepats for
seven weeks so for us to have. Luckily for us,
she was our first child. The families who have businesses
and jobs and other children and all of that kind
(04:14):
of thing having to uproot purely because there's a lack
of staff in your local excellent nicou is a serious problem.
And while we were there, we dealt with a huge
range of staff, probably fifty in the time across those
months we were there, and there was a really good,
(04:35):
well trained pool of staff who worked across the three
different areas of the NIKU and in that high dependency
ICU kind of station. So my concern is why all
of a sudden is they're not enough staff. What is
going on within that nickum unit for there not to
(04:56):
be enough staff, because there certainly has been over the years.
Where is this coming from? Why don't people want to
work in there?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Well, this is you know, that's a good point to make.
And and you know, then as you've touched on as well,
like you said that you and your bub were in
there for.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Ninety something days, like that's months. Can you imagine that.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
There was another family here we met who had already
been there for six months when we arrived. You know,
we were very lucky our daughter on the you know,
the overall she was very healthy. Yeah, there are some
incredibly sick babies that get born and as a result
of prematurity, you know, they can be in hospital for
(05:42):
twelve months more.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yep, And this is it.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
And then how on earth would you cope as like
a first time mom's, second time mom, anytime mom or
dad or family being away for that period of time.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
That's right. Yeah, and the financial implications for us specifically, yeah,
suddenly going on Malee. You know, I worked for True
as the mentee, so I was able to fall back
on paid print leave. If that hadn't have been there,
we would have been in all sorts of hot water
with our mortgage and things that. You know, if you
(06:17):
don't have those systems or support systems, or your partner
can't be with you into your faith, it's you know,
it's a long haul. I have post traumatic stress disorder
as a result of our NICU journey. You know, the
risks to families, not just the babies, but too families
(06:38):
as a result of our local NIKU being understar. Really
it's unacceptable.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
I'm so glad you called this morning ly, you know,
because I think so often you actually we need this perspective,
and you know, you need to know the impact that
this could potentially have on different families. And I understand
that you know that that that Royal Darwin Hospital and
certainly the department must be trying to work their butts
(07:05):
off to make some change to ensure that this works.
But you know, we live in a capital city. We
don't live you know, we're not living in a really
regional area. We live in a capital city, a location
that we t to out as you know, a place
that we want to be, like the capital of Northern Australia.
We've got to have these services for families.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
That's right. And you know, if you think about remote
Indigenous communities, you're in the top end. Darwin is part
of a hub of where family members may be. So
if someone has had to come from norm Boy to
the Darwin Nikkey because their baby is so unwell or
(07:48):
so early, then and sorry, yes it's not just premature
babies who might need intubations. Babies can be just as
ill for various reason. So you know what's going on
with damn, I'm not sure, but you know, so if
you've got Indigenous women who are coming to have a
(08:09):
baby and you know, throwing into that Nico world as well,
but then they don't get to stay and do and
where there might be some support, and they've got to
be sent to Melbourne where there's no support. You know,
it's a whole other level of Oh, it's creation.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Well, this is the thing, and you're at such a
vulnerable time of your life anyway as a mom, right,
like when particularly is the first time Mum.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Yeah, I was actually a private patient and they were
really good to me and let me have my room
at the private hospital for about I think five days
after our daughter was born, and they were stuffing food
in the fridge for me and all of that kind
of thing, you know, because you don't get fed over
(08:55):
at the public where you do at the private kind
of stuff. But the day I was discharged from the
private hospital and I had to drive away from the
hospital ground and leave my baby in a hospital, I
was just destroyed. I sat there howling in the car
for about an hour and a half. You know. It
(09:16):
was just such a terrible time. And I'm sure like
we are still patients of RDIH. I've never had an
issue with RDIH that My concern is what is happening
within that nicky unit that is making people not want
to be there. Why is there a staff shortage? It's
(09:37):
not just about COVID. It must there must be something
else going on, Lee, I really millions of dollars worth
of equipment that people are fundraised for and here it's
very well equipped.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
So well, let us look, we'll continue to speak about
it and continue to try and get some answers, because
I think you've raised some really really important points. Lee,
Before I let you go very quickly, your daughter must
be thirteen or fourteen now.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Is she? Yeah, she's about to turn fourteen.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
It's a good age and interesting age. My daughter is
just a little bit younger.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
We've actually run into you and spotlight on my daughter
was all taken with you.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
I love it, or Lee, I am so grateful that
you called this morning. I just think it's I reckon,
it's so important. It provides that perspective for us. And
the point you've made then as well about all the
money that's been raised for the NIKU over the years
as well through those private fundraisers. It's like, you know,
we've got to there's got to be a closer look
(10:41):
into this.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
There's got to be some kind of change here.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Well. I think the other point that I wanted to
raise quickly is that, Okay, so we've got South Australian
Police officers coming to help in our spring. I'm sure
that there could be some kind of national pool that
could be utilized of NIKU trained nurses that could be
pulled in when it's needed.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
That is good point.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It's got to be something that's really much more dynamically
thought about than individual employment through NTG.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
That is a really really good point.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Lee.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
I'm going to have to run. We've got to get
to the national news. Thank you for having a chat
with us. I'll see you again in spotlight maybe sometimes
so thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
See
Joining me on the line is Lee.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Now.
Speaker 3 (00:02):
Lee had a had her baby and had a three
month stay in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Good morning to you, Lee, Hi, good morning, Thanks so
much for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Lee.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
How early was your bub born?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
She was twenty six weeks back in twenty ten.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Oh wow, that is such It's so early. It must
have been quite frightening for you.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yeah, it was a pretty horrendous time in our life.
I have to say. She weighed seven hundred and eighty
three grams and my wedding rings set up her thigh,
so she was very tiny.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Oh my goodness, me, Lee, I cannot even imagine, you know,
some of the emotions, some of the fear that you
must have felt when your bub was born and so early.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, and the next unexpected nature of it was what
really kind of flawed us. She was our first baby,
and I honestly didn't know that the NICU world existed
until I had her so early, and we were thrust
(01:17):
into that world. So I can only imagine. There was
a time when she was really unwell where there was
conversation about her having to be sent to Royal Melbourne
because she was too unwell for the local NICU team
to treat her that she was too unwell to send.
(01:38):
Luckily for us and thanks to the NICKU angels as
I like to call them, because they do an amazing
job and I'm forever grateful to them, she pulled through
and we didn't have to. So our ninety two days
of her being in hospital from was based here in
(02:02):
the Darwen Loy Darwin Hospital.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
So, Lee, Look, there's a couple of things that I'm
taking from what you've just said there when I look
at the cut to these services and I know that
you know, by the sounds of it, it seems as
though it's temporary and they're they're trying to, you know,
to to do various different things. But first off, the
fact that you said that that for your child, that
they went through a they went through a stage where
(02:27):
they were really quite unwell and wouldn't have been able
to travel. You know, that makes me now question, well,
what happens if there is another family that's in the
situation that you guys were in, you know, all those
years ago, and they're not they're not able to be
cared for here.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Absolutely, and you know, it does happen there is definitely
the need for a baby to be sent into States.
From my understanding from my time back then, you know,
it doesn't happen too and the hospital is extremely experienced
with the air transport team and all of that kind
of thing. I have no concern about the hospital's intentions
(03:11):
or the transport or anything like that. For me, my
main concern is if you so, any woman who's pregnant
in Darwin at this time who goes into emergency labor
or spontaneous labor prior to thirty two weeks, all of
(03:32):
them are looking down the gauntlet of having to go
into stage because of the lack of doctors who are
able to intubate and whatever else that CAP had said.
But the other thing about that is, and also so
(03:54):
they said about intubator babies and babies on seapap, which
is breathing assistance. Now, our daughter was on sepats for
seven weeks so for us to have. Luckily for us,
she was our first child. The families who have businesses
and jobs and other children and all of that kind
(04:14):
of thing having to uproot purely because there's a lack
of staff in your local excellent nicou is a serious problem.
And while we were there, we dealt with a huge
range of staff, probably fifty in the time across those
months we were there, and there was a really good,
(04:35):
well trained pool of staff who worked across the three
different areas of the NIKU and in that high dependency
ICU kind of station. So my concern is why all
of a sudden is they're not enough staff. What is
going on within that nickum unit for there not to
(04:56):
be enough staff, because there certainly has been over the years.
Where is this coming from? Why don't people want to
work in there?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Well, this is you know, that's a good point to make.
And and you know, then as you've touched on as well,
like you said that you and your bub were in
there for.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Ninety something days, like that's months. Can you imagine that.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
There was another family here we met who had already
been there for six months when we arrived. You know,
we were very lucky our daughter on the you know,
the overall she was very healthy. Yeah, there are some
incredibly sick babies that get born and as a result
of prematurity, you know, they can be in hospital for
(05:42):
twelve months more.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yep, And this is it.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
And then how on earth would you cope as like
a first time mom's, second time mom, anytime mom or
dad or family being away for that period of time.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
That's right. Yeah, and the financial implications for us specifically, yeah,
suddenly going on Malee. You know, I worked for True
as the mentee, so I was able to fall back
on paid print leave. If that hadn't have been there,
we would have been in all sorts of hot water
with our mortgage and things that. You know, if you
(06:17):
don't have those systems or support systems, or your partner
can't be with you into your faith, it's you know,
it's a long haul. I have post traumatic stress disorder
as a result of our NICU journey. You know, the
risks to families, not just the babies, but too families
(06:38):
as a result of our local NIKU being understar. Really
it's unacceptable.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
I'm so glad you called this morning ly, you know,
because I think so often you actually we need this perspective,
and you know, you need to know the impact that
this could potentially have on different families. And I understand
that you know that that that Royal Darwin Hospital and
certainly the department must be trying to work their butts
(07:05):
off to make some change to ensure that this works.
But you know, we live in a capital city. We
don't live you know, we're not living in a really
regional area. We live in a capital city, a location
that we t to out as you know, a place
that we want to be, like the capital of Northern Australia.
We've got to have these services for families.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
That's right. And you know, if you think about remote
Indigenous communities, you're in the top end. Darwin is part
of a hub of where family members may be. So
if someone has had to come from norm Boy to
the Darwin Nikkey because their baby is so unwell or
(07:48):
so early, then and sorry, yes it's not just premature
babies who might need intubations. Babies can be just as
ill for various reason. So you know what's going on
with damn, I'm not sure, but you know, so if
you've got Indigenous women who are coming to have a
(08:09):
baby and you know, throwing into that Nico world as well,
but then they don't get to stay and do and
where there might be some support, and they've got to
be sent to Melbourne where there's no support. You know,
it's a whole other level of Oh, it's creation.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Well, this is the thing, and you're at such a
vulnerable time of your life anyway as a mom, right,
like when particularly is the first time Mum.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Yeah, I was actually a private patient and they were
really good to me and let me have my room
at the private hospital for about I think five days
after our daughter was born, and they were stuffing food
in the fridge for me and all of that kind
of thing, you know, because you don't get fed over
(08:55):
at the public where you do at the private kind
of stuff. But the day I was discharged from the
private hospital and I had to drive away from the
hospital ground and leave my baby in a hospital, I
was just destroyed. I sat there howling in the car
for about an hour and a half. You know. It
(09:16):
was just such a terrible time. And I'm sure like
we are still patients of RDIH. I've never had an
issue with RDIH that My concern is what is happening
within that nicky unit that is making people not want
to be there. Why is there a staff shortage? It's
(09:37):
not just about COVID. It must there must be something
else going on, Lee, I really millions of dollars worth
of equipment that people are fundraised for and here it's
very well equipped.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
So well, let us look, we'll continue to speak about
it and continue to try and get some answers, because
I think you've raised some really really important points. Lee,
Before I let you go very quickly, your daughter must
be thirteen or fourteen now.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Is she? Yeah, she's about to turn fourteen.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
It's a good age and interesting age. My daughter is
just a little bit younger.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
We've actually run into you and spotlight on my daughter
was all taken with you.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
I love it, or Lee, I am so grateful that
you called this morning. I just think it's I reckon,
it's so important. It provides that perspective for us. And
the point you've made then as well about all the
money that's been raised for the NIKU over the years
as well through those private fundraisers. It's like, you know,
we've got to there's got to be a closer look
(10:41):
into this.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
There's got to be some kind of change here.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Well. I think the other point that I wanted to
raise quickly is that, Okay, so we've got South Australian
Police officers coming to help in our spring. I'm sure
that there could be some kind of national pool that
could be utilized of NIKU trained nurses that could be
pulled in when it's needed.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
That is good point.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It's got to be something that's really much more dynamically
thought about than individual employment through NTG.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
That is a really really good point.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Lee.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
I'm going to have to run. We've got to get
to the national news. Thank you for having a chat
with us. I'll see you again in spotlight maybe sometimes
so thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
See
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