WITH a goal of raising $110,000 to buy two Giraffe incubator care stations for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Canberra Hospital, the annual Bake for Babies fundraiser is aiming high this year, says co-ordinator Tina Martinovic. 

Now in its fourth year, Tina says the fundraiser will run until September 30, a month longer than usual.

Over the past four years it has raised more than $150,000 to help sick and premature newborn babies.

“We’ve extended the usual three-month window to four months this year to give the community more time to bake as we may have bitten off more than we can chew,” she says.

“But even if we raise enough for one unit it will be a fantastic asset to clinical staff and patients.”

Organised by the Newborn Intensive Care Foundation (NICF), both Tina and NICF chairman Peter Cursley have their own stories behind wanting to support NICU. Twenty-six years ago, Peter’s daughter Hannah was born blue, unresponsive and brain-damaged, and died at three days old. Tina’s now four-year-old son Kristijan was born at 27 weeks following placental abruption and survived without any lasting effects, though the odds were stacked against him. 

“The level of care we received in the NICU at the Canberra Hospital was just incredible,” she says. 

“Staff there cared for Kristijan as if he was their own. 

“It was always touch and go, and we know that if he hadn’t had access to this equipment, some of which was purchased by NICF, it could have been a very different story. Our family is eternally grateful.”

Tina says NICF works hard to provide the type of equipment the government doesn’t provide. She is encouraging the community to bake any treats they fancy and sell them to friends, family and workmates for the charity. 

NICF chairman and 2016 Australian of the Year ACT Local Hero Peter Cursley says the hi-tech Giraffe incubator care stations “create a controlled, protected micro-environment for peaceful fast healing, bringing babies one step closer to the caregivers’ expertise, their parents’ embrace, and to going home healthy”.

Proceeds are to be deposited into the Foundation’s Giraffe account, Tina says. All deposits over $2 receive a tax-deductible receipt and 100 per cent of all deposits will go towards the Giraffe care stations.

newborn.org.au/Bakeforbabies/