Editorial
Another incredible month has flown by! Each month is getting busier as more and more people are becoming aware of Tiny Sparks WA. We have now reached over 700 Likes on our Facebook page with some posts reaching 20,000+ people all over the world! Having such a strong community behind us has been vital for events such as the HBF Run for a Reason, which saw 21 participants for The Team for Tiny Sparks, and the success of our Bunnings Sausage Sizzle. Thanks also to Grill'd Claremont for including us in their Local Matters program for May. We can't wait to share with you where the funds raised will be spent over the coming month. Thankyou all for your continued support.
Community Conversations
"Do you remember a particular midwife who made a difference?"
From LH - 'Yes! In fact I have been meaning to find out if I can research her name. I would love to write to her and tell her that her presence in the birth of my daughter was essential to me. I can't even describe it properly. My husband and doctor hadn't arrived. It was just the midwife and I. A beautiful (albeit scary) experience.'
From BR - 'I can't remember her name but she was my night angel whilst on bedrest. Always on night shift, she was an older lady with blond greying hair and always wore it in a bun. She was an incredibly calming influence in what was a very stressful time.'
Sharing experiences with tongue tie and upper lip tie.
From SB - 'My ex-30 weeker had a severe tongue tie (similar to the pic) which even with all the specialists etc wasn't picked up until closer to 12 months by our CHN. It still annoys me that something so common & so easily fixed as an infant wasn't picked up. We had so many issues with breastfeeding & solid feeding that he was labelled a 'lazy eater'. After the referrals all went through etc it was fixed under a GA at 18 months old. Within a week he was eating more solid type foods, within around 3-4 weeks he was eating sandwiches!'
Celebrations
There were quite a few community days to celebrate/observe this past month! They included -
- Preeclampsia Awareness Month
- May 4 International Bereaved Mothers Day
- May 5 International Day of the Midwife
- May 11 Mother's Day
- May 15 International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day
- May 26 National Sorry Day
- May 27 - June 3 National Reconciliation Week
Handy Reminders
The cold and flu season has started and many of the little ones in our community have already become sick and some hospitalised. It's important to be vigilant over the coming months and observe stricter hygiene than usual. If you need a reminder of things to consider you can find great information on our Hygiene Page.
Thanks for the Support
Grill'd Claremont
Grill'd runs a hugely successful 'Local Matters' programs through their restaurants. For the entire month of May Tiny Sparks had a jar alongside Redkite and Cottesole Surf Life Saving Club at their Claremont store. On last check in we were sitting in second place place but we look forward to hearing the final result in the coming days. Not only does this program provide financial support for local community groups it also helps to raise their profile and spread awareness within the community. We are very thankful to Grill'd for the opportunity.
Bunnings Claremont
Bunnings has for many years allowed community groups to conduct sausage sizzles where profits taken on the day go to benefit the community group. On the 10th of May we held our first sausage sizzle at Bunnings Claremont. The weather had looked threatening but managed to hold out for the day and the sausage sizzle was a sell out about 10 minutes before close. We could not have done so well without our fabulous volunteers on the day. Many thanks to each of them.
HBF Run for a Reason
Amazing effort by Team for Tiny Sparks in all categories of the fun run. Each participant received their very own Tiny Sparks running cap. You can see more of the fun we had on the blog. We have two further fun runs coming up this season. Please look here for details about the Swan River Run (City 2 Swan) and the City to Surf.
Requests for Support
Do you currently have a baby in NICU/SCN? We have a little project that we would like some assistance with. It will not be terribly time consuming as we know first hand how precious time it when you have a baby in NICU/SCN. If you are interested in finding out more please e-mail abates@tinysparkswa.org.au
Coming Up
Swan River Run
On the 13th of July we will have a team in the Swan River Run. You can find out details about the run/walk here, and join our team to fundraise here. Each participant will receive a Tiny Sparks running cap.
City to Surf
On the 31st of August we will have a team in the Chevron City to Surf. You can find out details on the run/walk here, and join our team to fundraise here. Each participant will receive a Tiny Sparks running cap.
Toddler Tuesdays - The 12 Weeks of Winter
We understand that winter is a tough time for families. There are so many germs about and the rainy weather often means you are housebound for sometimes days or weeks on end. Over the 12 Weeks of Winter we will be bringing you Toddler Tuesdays on the blog. Each week we will feature an engaging activity suitable for your toddler. Look out for our first post in this series this Tuesday.