Colleagues past and present gathered to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the foundation of the Children’s Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI).
An event was held to celebrate the unit’s past, while also highlighting current work to secure a better future for critically ill children in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, through Leicester Hospitals Charity’s CICU parent facilities appeal – which is more than halfway towards its fundraising target of £1.2m.
Colleagues from the unit – which cares for more than 900 children every year – were joined at the celebration by the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Kulwinder Singh Johal, who has named Leicester Hospitals Charity as one of the chosen charities for his term of office.
The two consultant paediatricians who worked to set up CICU in 1996, Dr Sanjiv Nichani OBE and Dr David Luyt, were in attendance, and were reunited on the day with founding members of the CICU nursing team.
Dr Nichani said: “When we started out, we had only the shell of a unit, and the children’s hospital at the LRI was nowhere near as advanced as what we have now. We all worked incredibly hard and, over time, built up a fantastic group of consultants, and an amazing nursing team who do a phenomenal job.
“I’m very proud when I walk around the unit today, because I know how hard the team work to provide high-quality care. I am confident that they will continue to do so for many years to come.”
Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Parent Facilities appeal aims to raise £1.2m to create a new parent lounge, refurbish overnight parent bedrooms, and enhance family comfort at CICU. At the event, the Director of Leicester Hospitals Charity, Sunita Patel, announced that more than £750,000 has been raised towards this target so far.
Sunita said: “Many of the gifts which have helped us to reach this latest fundraising milestone have been made by people doing extraordinary things because of what CICU means personally to them.
“We want to greatly improve the existing parent facilities at the unit, so that parents are provided with vital privacy, dignity and rest while remaining close to their child, during what may be the most difficult days of their lives.
“There is still more work to do, but we are proud to continue our partnership with CICU, and determined to help shape the unit’s next chapter of extraordinary care for children and their families.”
Explaining the importance of the appeal, Head of Nursing for Leicester Children’s Hospital at UHL, Louise Evans, said: “When your child is critically ill, staying close is everything. Parents need to know that they have a safe space nearby where they can rest, eat, and take a breath without leaving the hospital, or feeling like they’re in the way.
“Having more comfortable, purpose-designed spaces for parents can ease a little strain during the hardest times. That’s something every parent deserves, which is why the CICU team are active in supporting the fundraising appeal.”
If you would like to support the Leicester Hospitals Charity CICU parent facilities appeal, please visit the charity’s webpage for more information.