National Premmie Day 2009

 read the full article here at the Herald Sun News

was wonderful catching up with these bubs and mums

Premmie Support Comes in Three’s

With thousands of premature babies born throughout Victoria yearly and in conjunction with National Premmie Day being celebrated on Friday 31st July 2009 three of Victoria’s amazing and dedicated support networks have joined together to help celebrate our little aussie battlers. All run by parents of premature babies themselves, Lifes Little Treasures, L’il Aussie Prems and La Toriana offer support to families through their unique experiences.

Lifes Little Treasures (LLT) is a charity funded by private donations and run entirely by volunteer parents who have experienced the rollercoaster ride of premature birth. They provide a number of services including support groups throughout the Melbourne suburbs and Greater Victoria, a quarterly newsletter, 24 hour support phone line, social occasions, informative parent resource guides morning teas at hospitals with Neonatal intensive care/Special care Nurseries, as well as providing the much needed practical and emotional support to prem families. LLT is a founding member of the National Premmie Foundation and looks forward to this year’s National Premmie Day running two events in Victoria. For further details please visit www.lifeslittletreasures.org.au.

L’il Aussie Prems is a not-for-profit website founded by Julia Toivonen offering support to families from the comfort of their own homes through their online support forum. The site features information through articles, birth stories, galleries, live chats and birth announcements. With over 860 families registered on the forum Australia wide families can find information and the support they need from others who have been through this life changing journey. L’il Aussie Prems is a major supporter when it comes to premature babies and National Premmie Day and will be holding a live online chat for families who cannot attend celebrations throughout the day starting from 7pm. For details please visit www.lilaussieprems.com.au.

LaToriana is an online baby boutique that caters for premmie babies up to children 8 years of age. With a passion for organic and premmie baby clothes La Toriana specialises Australian and New Zealand baby and kids fashion with new and established designers. Founder of LaToriana, Elizabeth, understands the struggles to find premature clothing suitable for these tiny miracles. Elizabeth, a volunteer and sponsor of local and national premmie baby groups, donates a % of sales from her Premmie baby category. www.latoriana.com.au

“As parents offering support we have truly walked the path and understand the raw emotions parents and families feel after the premature birth of their children. It is a hard, over whelming and heartfelt journey, one that we hope to make easier through our dedicated & supportive network” said Julia Toivonen founder of L’il Aussie Prems and mum to two premature babies.

Events details for National Premmie Day celebrations around Australia are available through the Premmie Foundations website www.prembaby.org.au

For further information, interviews and photographs please contact:

Shusannah Morris – Lifes Little Treasures
contact_us@lifeslittletreasures.org.au
0437 254 360

Julia Toivonen – L’il Aussie Prems
admin@lilaussieprems.com.au
0412 248 583

Elizabeth Murphy – La Toriana
info@latoriana.com.au
0408 489 268

Tiana arriving on a magical unicorn.. I do believe that our angels helped to create a miracle for us. Thanks to Argnesh for this pic of Tiana and our angels. Its priceless. See more of her work here  and also here

another year passes this week

Its 8 years since my girls lost their battle with prematurity and became angels…

… I still feel like it was only last week, the excitement of knowing we were having twins, then “everything happened”

… I still will “never” get over their loss

… I still often look into the back of the seat and think there should be 3 little girls laughing and giggling

… I still cant go past the hospital where I had to leave empty handed… I will never forget that drive out of the carpark, it was the hardest thing in my life.  I wanted to run all the way back inside and get them

… I often stammer a little when a stranger asks “oh, how many children do you have?” do I tell them I have 3? and fear their reaction or lack of, if I tell them that only one lives at home as 2 have passed away? or do I not tell them and feel I have done an injustice to my girls?

… I still feel the softness of my girls and can smell their scent when I close my eyes

… I still cry, and sometimes really sob when I hear the song “fly” by Celine Dion.   

… I still remember that first mothers day… with a heavy heart and empty arms. The pain all over again. Read a bit more about that here

… I still feel the loss so terribly

… I still visit the cemetery every week and pop flowers in their graves and clean their plaque, and wonder  “what if….”

… I still get angry at ladies in the supermarket who yell or smack their kids for just “being kids”… (If only my girls were here)

… I still cry when listening to the news… at the abandonment of babies, and the neglect and the emotional and physical trauma many kids go through

… I still feel very close to my girls and always use their names when talking about our family. They ARE part of our family.

… I still have a photo of them up at home, and no longer feel I have to make other people feel “comfortable”

… I still talk about them and answer questions as they arise by our 6 yr old daughter.  She has grown up always knowing, and knows she has 2 gorgeous special angel sisters watching over her

… I still feel angry about some of the management at the time

… I still feel saddened by how some friends “left me alone” feeling I needed time.  and how one friend took 6 years to talk to me, see me and talk about it as “she” was uncomfortable

… I still remember being so so scared… more scared than anything in my whole life

… I still miss a heartbeat and hold my breathe when I hear a friend having dramas in pregnancy

… I still wish, I REALLY wish ….things were different

.. I still long for and wish my girls were here with me

Warmly Elizabeth xx
mum to 3 beautiful prem girls

“some can only dream of angels, we created 2, and they sent us an earthly miracle”

 soon…  one day… will tell the whole story….

 remember July 31st is the NATIONAL PREMMIE DAY we are giving a % of sales to

and also National Premmie Foundation

  please support your local group or www.prembaby.org.au

L’il Aussie Prems website seeks nominations for Australia’s first award recognising the work of volunteers within the premature baby community.

L’il Aussie Prems (LAP), an online support site for families of premature babies, is proud to sponsor Australia’s first award to recognise and celebrate the dedication of individual volunteers within the local premature baby community.

LAP is seeking nominations from around Australia of “local premmie heroes” – the ordinary yet extraordinary people who give up their time to support the families of premature babies both during their hospital stay and afterwards, doing everything from sewing tiny clothing for very low birth weight babies to setting up local playgroups for prematurely born children to organising fundraising for research into the causes of premature birth.

“As a community of parents, we understand the premmie journey and how hard the road can be. We want to recognise and pay tribute to those people who go out of their way to make things easier for other families travelling that road.” said Julia Toivonen, founder of the L’il Aussie Prems website and mother of two premature babies.

 (pic courtesy of Julia Toivonen)