Giving back to Westmead Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after two decades

Western Sydney locals Cathy and Joe Bracks have generously donated $8,140 to Westmead Hospital Foundation through their Seven Hills business, Acron Building Services, to help purchase equipment for Westmead Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

After his birth almost two decades ago, Cathy and Joe’s now 19-year-old son spent time in the NICU and the appreciative parents wanted to “say thank you by giving back” with the donation.

The donation which was funded by both the Bracks’ and the staff incentive scheme will be used to purchase a much-needed new LED phototherapy light for treating jaundice in newborn babies and infant humidifiers to help babies breathe.

To provide real-life context to the donation, staff from Acron Building Services were given a tour of the NICU and viewed the complex specialist care and medical equipment used to care for babies born prematurely or with complex health problems.

During the tour, staff from Acron Building Services shared stories about their own children and connections to Westmead NICU.

“While discussing the NICU Unit, we discovered that several of our staff and their family members have personal connections here too”, said office manager Stacey Pritchett.

General Manager, Kevin Wilson said “seeing these babies in NICU made me realise how lucky my wife and I were to have had three healthy babies, and to have brought them home straight after their birth”.

Head of Westmead Hospital NICU, Dr Melissa Luig, shared her appreciation of the Acron Building Services donation and said “every donation, no matter how small, helps”.

We are extremely appreciative of the generosity of the staff of Acron Building Services for selflessly donating their bonuses to make a real difference to the quality of specialist care we provide to our tiniest and most vulnerable newborn babies,” she said.

Westmead Hospital’s NICU provides specialist neonatology care to 1,500 babies annually and is the largest Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in NSW.

To donate to Westmead Hospital Foundation please visit westmeadhf.org.au/nicu