The Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation (PPBF) is a Guernsey based charity that has come a long way since it was started by Jo and Andy Priaulx in 2003. It offers a true lifeline to parents who have had a premature baby, and is very proud to have helped around 1,140 children and their families over the last 19 years.
The charity runs solely on public donations and corporate sponsorship and has launched a ‘Buy-A-Night’ fundraising campaign, sponsored by Hand Picked Hotels, where a small donation will make a very big difference to a family in its time of need.
Where it all began...
Both of Jo and Andy Priaulx’s children were born prematurely, Seb in 2001 (4 weeks premature) when they were living in Northampton, and Dannii in 2003 (5 weeks premature) when they were in Guernsey. Following Dannii’s birth, Jo got chatting to a neonatal nurse about equipment that was needed for Guernsey’s neonatal unit and decided she wanted to give back for all the support they had received. She subsequently organised a ball at Beau Sejour and they raised a staggering £45k on the night to buy an incubator for the unit. That lit a flame inside Jo, if that much could be raised in one night, what could be achieved if it wasn’t a one-off and the PPBF was born.
Supporting premature babies
Aside from buying much needed equipment for Guernsey’s neonatal unit, the charity also offers a lot of support to the parents of premature babies. Each family is given a Baby Box when their baby is admitted into the neonatal unit. The box includes essentials for baby including tiny nappies, premature baby grows, hats and booties, along with a hand-knitted blanket (knitted by volunteers) and a PPBF teddy. Parents are not forgotten as the box also contains a PPBF notebook, so they can journal their time on the neonatal unit and some spoils including Plaisirs toiletries, a Catherine Best Jewellery PPBF charm, and a beautiful pewter bear photo holder from Becky Rowe Jewellery. The charity gives out between 60 and 90 Baby Boxes each year to local families, and they cost around £100 each.
A home from home in Southampton
When Jo and Andy’s son Seb was in neonatal care in Northampton, they had to drive a 40-mile round trip to the hospital each day and it made them feel scared being so far away from their son. From being in Guernsey’s neonatal unit with Dannii, they realised that the most seriously ill premature babies in Guernsey are taken to Southampton Hospital, meaning parents are not only going through the most difficult time of their lives, they are doing it away from home.
They wanted to help these families through compassionate housing and, with a great deal of hard work and support, that dream eventually became a reality. The charity runs two flats – Isaac’s Pad, which was generously gifted by Isaac’s grandparents, and Aggie’s Burrow, which was purchased after a successful ‘Buy-A-Brick’ campaign, launched in 2015.
The beauty of the flats is that it takes only around 100 steps to walk from the front of the flats to the hospital’s entrance.
The flats are available for Guernsey families to use free of charge whilst their baby is in the neonatal unit in Southampton (it has also been used by families of critically ill Guernsey children in Southampton Hospital), offering a safe and comfortable home-from-home on the doorstep of the hospital.
Amanda and Luke's story
In Oct 2020, Amanda was diagnosed with preeclampsia at her midwife appointment, following her 29week scan and from that moment their lives changed forever. Amanda had an immediate medivac to Southampton Hospital with Luke unable to travel with her due to the COVID pandemic. 8 days later Amanda and Luke were told that delivery could not be held off any longer and baby Umi was delivered by emergency c-section at 12:13am on 29th Oct, weighing only 1lb11oz, over 2 months before her due date of 1st Jan.
Umi was rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and due to the preeclampsia Amanda had a tough few days ahead with her own health, despite being beyond worried about her new baby girl. It was an incredibly emotional and worrying time for Luke who said that the PPBF really came to his rescue when he needed it most.
Luke was initially staying in a hotel in central Southampton which could take 20minutes to get to the NICU due to traffic, meaning he felt so far away from his wife and baby. He was given the details of the PPBF and after a chat with them, he moved into Isaac’s Pad the next day. He said that when he walked through the door of the flat he felt like a weight had been lifted, it was one less thing he had to worry about and he was only minutes away from his family so he could get there quickly if there was an emergency.
Following Umi’s birth, Amanda remained in hospital for a week then was discharged, moving into Isaac’s Pad with Luke. She remembers walking into the flat for the first time and bursting into tears when she saw the photos of Guernsey. She said she felt so isolated in hospital and in the flat she felt like she had been picked up and cocooned, like someone was supporting them and that they were no longer on their own, like Guernsey was with them.
Umi is a little fighter and despite catching Sepsis whilst in NICU, she battled through and was transferred to Guernsey’s neonatal unit on 21st Dec, so Amanda and Luke moved out of Isaac’s Pad after spending 55 nights there. Amanda was terrified to be leaving the specialist care at Southampton Hospital but received lots of support from Jo and Sammy at the PPBF, which helped reassure her. She has also got a lot of support from chatting to other parents through the PPBF’s closed Facebook group. Amanda said that due to the support they received, the use of Isaac’s Pad, and the lovely Baby Box that was waiting for them when they arrived back in Guernsey, they can never repay the PPBF for their kindness and the charity will always have a special place in their heart.
Umi is now a thriving 2-year-old and Amanda and Luke do all they can to raise awareness of the PPBF and the good it does.
Could you support a family like Amanda and Luke's?
Aggie’s Burrow and Isaac’s Pad cost nearly £44k a year to run, that’s £60 a night for each flat and the charity has launched a new Buy-A-Night campaign, offering people the chance to buy a night for a family in its time of need.
The great thing is that when you buy a night, you can personalise it by picking a specific day, for example your child’s birthday or an anniversary.
To purchase a night for £60 or donate £5 monthly, visit www.ppbf.org.gg/buy-a-night/ where you can select your chosen flat, donation amount, special date and personalisation. Names will be displayed on special calendars on the PPBF’s website and in the flats themselves.
Kids can get involved too...
11-year-old Roux Fletcher is school friends with Isaac, who was born prematurely. Isaac was also the inspiration behind the naming of Isaac’s Pad. After a chance meeting with PPBF founders, Andy and Jo Priaulx, Roux was gifted a remote-control car and decided that in return he would work to raise funds for the charity. He has been mowing lawns, weeding gardens and helping with the restoration of a friend’s yacht, all for donations. He surpassed his £60 target and has purchased two nights – one of which has been gifted to Isaac. Well done Roux, what an inspiration!
