Walk for Prems Ballarat to support Life's Little Treasures

Born at 35 weeks, the premature delivery took everyone by surprise.

"I didn't have much time to process that we were going to have a premature baby, let alone process that I was in labour," she said.

Lucas weighed 2.58kg at birth and battled from the start, but after a rocky first few weeks of life overcoming feeding issues, jaundice and other complications of premature delivery he is now a thriving, smiley seven month old.

"As a parent and first time mum, it was the most terrifying hours of my life, being in the unknown as to what would happen to our beautiful baby boy," she said.

Lucas was whisked to the special care nursery after his birth where he was put on CPAP for respiratory distress syndrome, required light therapy for jaundice and was on a drop for nutrition.

When doctors tried to wean Lucas off the CPAP onto oxygen therapy, he was stable for just a few hours before his condition deteriorated and he was required to go back onto CPAP. This necessitated a specialist transfer by the state's Pediatric Infant Perinatal Emergency Retrieval (PIPER) team from Bacchus Marsh Hospital where Lucas was born, to the Joan Kirner Hospital for Women and Children in Sunshine where his higher needs could be met.

Dad Scott did not get to hold his son until he was three days old.

Lucas spent two days in the neonatal intensive care unit, a day in special care and was transferred back to Bacchus Marsh Hospital for a further week in their special care nursery before finally getting home.

Life has changed again for the Burns family as Lucas has just started to crawl.

During the first few weeks of motherhood Ms Gerlach discovered Life's Little Treasures Foundation which supports families of babies born sick or before 37 weeks gestation.

"As a new mum, everything is completely new let alone you are watching everyone else take their baby home and you are walking out of hospital empty handed," Ms Gerlach said.

"We didn't know about Life's Little Treasures until after we came home when I was doing a lot of Googling trying to work out if things going on were about Lucas being prem, or whether they were normal."

This weekend the Burns family, their extended family and friends will travel to Ballarat to take part in the annual Walk for Prems, held at Lake Wendouree and eight other locations across Australia to help raise funds for the foundation and awareness for the 48,000 babies born premature or sick in Australia each year.

"I read a lot of the stuff that Life's Little Treasures has available on their website and looking back I wish we had known about them when we were in the hospital. That's why we really want to back them and help get their name out there so people know they are available."

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Life's Little Treasures Foundation chief executive Felicia Welstead said families now, more than ever, need support.

"That's why we are encouraging the community to step up and step out to help raise awareness and much needed funds so we can continue to support families with premature and sick babies and make a real difference to their lives," she said.

"In this time where the cost of living is increasing, parents of premature and sick babies have been doing it especially tough. Not just struggling with feelings of isolation and uncertainty, they are now also facing significant financial worries."

Funds raised go toward providing families with practical support through items such as fuel, accommodation and food vouchers, breakfast boxes during their hospital stay and emotional support to ensure in-hospital morning teas can be hosted and online NICU Connections parent support groups.

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