Life-saving equipment donated thanks to Sussex Royal support

Charity donates pulse oximetry machines to The Royal Sussex County Hospital thanks to support inspired by the Duke & Duchess of Sussex

The Royal Sussex County Hospital maternity department has received three new pulse oximetry machines, thanks to the generous support of Tiny Tickers, a charity that aims to give a better start to babies with congenital heart disease (CHD). These monitors, which can help detect serious heart conditions soon after birth, will be used to help improve early detection rates of congenital heart disease.

The three monitors have been donated using funds raised from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex choosing Tiny Tickers as one of their Forces for Change charities in August 2019. As a project, Forces for Change intends to shine a light on smaller, lesser-known charities and organisations. Thanks to nominations from many supporters, Tiny Tickers was selected as one of the 15 charities to be followed by the royal couple on Instagram during the month of August. Thanks to the awareness created by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Instagram and subsequent donations from fans of the royal couple, Tiny Tickers was able to place three new pulse oximetry machines at The Royal Sussex County Hospital.

A baby is born with a serious heart condition every two hours in the UK. However, not all congenital heart defects can be detected during routine prenatal scanning and some babies are at risk of falling into the early stage of heart failure if their condition is not diagnosed in time. Tiny Tickers, the only national charity dedicated to improving the early detection, diagnosis and care of babies with heart conditions, wants to change this.

According to Laura Spicer, Community Team Leader at The Royal Sussex County Hospital, the machines have already detected a heart defect in a newborn baby. She says, 'The machines are an invaluable resource to families and midwives. We have already detected a baby with a heart condition following a homebirth as a result of having these monitors. The baby is now being treated at the Evelina Hospital. We are incredibly grateful to Tiny Tickers at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.'

Tiny Tickers CEO, Jon Arnold, says, ‘It was a wonderful surprise to have been chosen by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as one of their 15 Forces for Change charities. Already we’ve seen a tremendous increase in awareness of the charity, our work, and the CHD cause globally. We’re so grateful to the people who nominated us and, of course, to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their support.’

Ends

Contact

Please contact Katie Lawson, Head of Fundraising & Comms, Tiny Tickers katie@tinytickers.org 07733 034533