NICU

For World Prematurity Day on Monday 17 November, we were proud to make our first in-person visit to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital – part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.  

The visit marked the expansion of Spread a Smile’s service delivery within the Trust, following delivery of our successful and regular support programme for patients at St Mary’s Hospital, also part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.  

The development has been made possible thanks to a brilliant partnership between Spread a Smile and Cosmic, a charity that supports babies and children in intensive care units across St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington and Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in Hammersmith.

Working closely with the team at Cosmic, Spread a Smile’s Director of Services, Laura Walter carefully planned a special and meaningful first visit to families in the NICU for World Prematurity Day – a day that is observed annually to raise awareness about preterm birth and its impact on families and healthcare systems worldwide. 

Our entertainers, Rosie and Posey joined Laura and Cosmic staff at the hospital for a morning filled with gentle music, stories, and comfort. Musician, Rosie, gently played the guitar and sang soothing songs for the babies, creating a calming atmosphere on the ward. Meanwhile, Posey read from the book ‘Guess How Much I Love You’, a book that Cosmic gifts to every NICU family in their welcome pack when they arrive on the unit. It provided a peaceful moment for parents during a very difficult and emotional journey. 

Posey shared the benefits of reading to babies – even in neonatal care – from bonding and comfort to supporting early language and cognitive development. 

Laura said, “This visit marks the beginning of Spread a Smile’s regular support for Queen Charlotte’s NICU, something we are incredibly proud to deliver. We are so grateful to Cosmic for partnering with us to help expand our reach and bring moments of joy, comfort, and connection to even more families when they need it most.” 

Susannah Forland, Cosmic CEO, said: “It’s a privilege for Cosmic to provide funding to support these visits and partner with Spread a Smile. Research shows that gentle music and reading aloud can support both parents and premature babies – helping stabilise the baby’s heart rate, improve oxygen levels and encourage bonding. We’re proud to help make this much-needed support available to give families some light relief in a very unsettling and difficult time.”

If you’d like to help support our vital work spreading smiles to seriously ill babies, children and young people across the country, why not take a look at our Christmas Appeal? With incredible prizes to bid on and the chance to enter our prize draw for just £10, we hope you’ll get involved and help spread some festive smiles to the children and families we support.