Residential bay opens following fundraising in paediatric nurse’s memory

Lori Robertson had just qualified as a paediatric nurse when she died in a car accident in 2022. She had just accepted a position at the Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care at Royal United Hospitals Bath and so her parents Helen and Mark have been fundraising ever since to help the ward where she would have started her nursing career. They say: “Our beautiful daughter passed away in a car accident before she could start her dream job as a paediatric nurse. In her memory we have raised well over our aim of £21,000 for the unit she was going to join, in memory of Lori and her beautiful 21 years.

“We are so very proud with everything that Lori had achieved in her three years at university, and obtaining her place at the Bath NNU as a paediatric nurse. We felt that there was a need to do something that would hold her memory at the unit, therefore we started the fundraising for the project to help babies and their parents.”

RUHX, the hospital’s charity, had a target of £60,000 for ‘More precious moments in NICU,’ and the rest came from many other RUHX supporters. Mark and Helen’s fundraising target was £21,000 in memory of Lori being 21 years old; however, £30,000 was raised by more than 825 supporters. Helen completed a sky dive, a charity disco raised more than £1,000 and other donations included birthday gift and graduation celebration money meant for Lori and donations from many people that Lori had met.

Kirstie Flood, lead nurse at the Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care said: “The Lori Grace room has been created as a parent and baby residential bay. Developed in room G of the neonatal unit, it provides a safe, comfortable environment for babies and families to remain whole, receiving care as a family.

“This new parent and baby residential bay gives parents the opportunity to stay overnight with their baby, while their baby receives the clinical care they need on the neonatal unit. This offers a wealth of benefits for baby and parents, inclusive of improved brain development, growth and established feeding while giving maximum opportunity to build on close and loving relationships, nurturing the family bond.

“The creation of a shower room within the neonatal unit is another vital addition, providing washing facilities for our parents staying overnight. This incredible project could not have been completed without the dedicated and generous fundraising from Helen and Mark and their friends and family and we are extremely grateful.”