At Intercity, we’re always looking for ways to put people first. That doesn’t just relate to the way we do business, but also to the way that we can help others through local charitable initiatives. One partnership we’re particularly proud of is the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (‘NICU’) and Special Care Baby Unit (‘SCABU’) at Bolton Hospital.

Back in October 2015, one of our Intercity colleagues, Naome Harrison, gave birth to her baby Max. At 31 weeks, he was premature and taken straight to the Bolton ‘Special Baby Unit’, one of three dedicated centres for excellence in Greater Manchester, where they provide specialist care for sick and premature babies.

When Max was born, he needed assistance to breathe and was ventilated due to him being underdeveloped.  He stayed in hospital in NICU & SCABU for 5 weeks in total where the committed staff cared for him both night and day until he was strong enough to go home.

The teams of staff do an amazing job not just in caring for the sick babies there, but also in supporting the parents in what is undoubtedly a difficult time.

Fast-forward 2 ½ years, Max is a happy and healthy boy just like any other child his age.

Naome says “Having a premature baby is no easy task.  It’s an emotional rollercoaster and the doctors and nurses who work on the unit are there through every step, supporting both you and your baby.

"They hold your hand through the tears and they share your joy with you when your baby progresses through their NICU/SCUBU journey.  I owe the life of my cheeky, mischievous, loving little boy to the amazing staff at the Bolton Neonatal Unit.

"It is fantastic that Intercity empowers employees to support local charities and the money that we raise will make a such a difference in providing better facilities for other parents, babies, brothers and sisters who also on the neonatal journey.”

We’ve got an ongoing commitment to Bolton Neonatal Trust (Special Care for Special Babies) which allows us to put the proceeds of our office tuck shop to good use. To date, we have raised £1657.

"Having a premature baby is no easy task.  It’s an emotional rollercoaster and the doctors and nurses who work on the unit are there through every step, supporting both you and your baby."

If you want to donate to the Bolton Neonatal Trust to help them raise funds for a new layout to help parents and families to bond with their babies including accommodation for parents whose children are within the unit, you can donate on their page here.

To learn more about our commitment to our named charities, you can visit our JustGiving page.

What do you do to put #Peoplefirst?

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