I hate sleeping in the parent beds.

They are old and rundown and are more like trying to sleep on a piece of cardboard

but I was one of the lucky ones.

In the ward where Ivy often stays

there are five rooms without a parent bed.

Five exhausted parents who sleep next to their hospitalised children

on a chair

or

on the floor (the nurses provide matresses for these parents, they’re not actually on the floor).

I’ve done the chair before

so I know

that whatever it is that you acquire whilst in the chair,

it is most certainly not restful sleep.

I could complain

but it isn’t through anyone’s fault that things are like this.

Everyone is doing the  very best they can.

The system is such that funding falls short

and the few donations that come into the hospital are used up by the more well known, more publicised services

and so

the little medical ward

that Ivy and I (and hundreds of other families throughout the year)

inhabit

has to go without.

I want to do something about it

and I need help.

Before I put this out there though

I want everyone to know

1) I have never done anything like this before and I am very nervous.

2) There is no pressure. If you don’t want to or can’t help then it really is fine.

3) Nothing of this will go to Ivy or our family personally, all proceeds will go to the ward.

So, here it is;

There are two things I would like to do.

The first is - a fridge.

The nurses don’t have a fridge in their tea room. It’s a basic need and at the moment they are putting their dinners in a small borrowed bar fridge.

If I had the money right this very minute, I would buy them one because every single nurse is worth it and then some.

The nurses are busy trying to raise the funds for a fridge themselves but it’s a slow process.

Last night I emailed The Good Guys; an electrical and white goods dealer in our local area and I asked them if they could help.

They pride themselves on helping the community and so I am hoping that they will find it in their hearts to donate a fridge. I can only offer them a plaque stuck to said fridge acknowledging their kind donation and a promise to buy all of my future electrical and white good needs from their store, so it’s not much but still I am hopeful.

I’ve never ever asked for a single thing in my life, for free, so it was a big adrenaline pumping deal for me to do it.

The second thing is the beds.

Before I talk to you about this, I think it’s important for you to know

that David’s work has a new charity pool, that they have created for this year only

and for every dollar that we are able to raise for the ward

his work has said they will pitch in.

I’m told that in the USA this is not such a big deal

but in Australia it is.

It’s huge.

So (and at the risk of having you all flee faster than a dog who has stolen the sausages from the bbq tray)

I’ve set up a fundraising page.

I often get emails from people, strangers from all over the world, asking what they can do to help, what they can give so that Ivy can have the best care and my answer is always nothing because we are well looked after

but

this would help.

Not only that

but it would help

the ward,

the nurses

and other people, who are struggling when their babies are in hospital.

More than anything, that is what I want;

to be able to give something back for all that we have been given.

I haven’t got a blog button or anything to display but

here

is the link.

I have some things in the pipeline to help raise the money

but one blogger suggested that people may like to give, to work towards one thing -

even just one bed would make the world of difference to someone.

If you can help wonderful.

Thank you.

If not, it would be lovely if you could spread the word, link up, tweet, put it out there on facebook.

I’ve put the goal down as $5000.

It seems huge at the moment - alot of money to us, a small drop in the ocean in fundraising efforts

but $5000 could easily become more

with the help of David’s work

and who knows

we may exceed all expectation.
* Disclaimer: This post is not to bring to your attention any short comings of the hospital at all. We are so very thankful for all that the hospital does for us on a daily basis.