Saving babies like Ava

“If it weren’t for the investment in medical research, neither of our children would be here today,” grateful mum Tahnae Hammond said. 

“I try not to take any moment we have together as a family for granted because I know how close we came to losing both of them.” 

Tahnae and husband Anthony’s precious children, Ava and Logan, now six and four, both suffered life-threatening complications at birth. 

Ava was severely aneamic and not breathing at birth due to an undiagnosed placental tear and needed immediate resuscitation.  

The WA parents were told that she had been ‘bleeding out’ for a long time but that ultrasounds had not picked up the changes in the fluid composition. 

Ava recovered to become the healthy six-year-old she is today, however, tragically the young parents again found themselves facing another life-threatening birthing experience two years later.  

Ava’s baby brother Logan suffered a bleed which saw his brain starved of oxygen and resulted in him being rushed to Fiona Stanley’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to begin lifesaving cooling treatment just as his older sister had. 

“They put Logan on a cooling mat, which looks like a big air conditioner, and which dropped his body temperature to 32-34C. We were told it was Logan’s best chance at avoiding permanent brain damage.” 

“I was amazed when I learnt the cooling procedure research is led by Professor Shail Mehta and the team here at Fiona Stanley Hospital, along with many other Aussie hospitals, to improve the safety and application of the brain cooling procedure to save more babies. 

“And I was even more amazed to learn that research like this is only possible thanks to community support from organisations like The Hospital Research Foundation Group. 

“My two beautiful children wouldn’t be here without it.” 

If you would like to save even more babies’ lives through life-changing neonatal care, please make a donation today.