For little Leontýnka, we want to provide monitoring equipment that will help her family through the challenging transition from hospital to home care.
For Lilly, we want to provide an oxygen concentrator so that her world no longer has to end at her front door.
Leontýnka
Leontýnka came into the world much earlier than expected. She was born extremely prematurely, at just 23 weeks and 2 days of pregnancy, weighing only 420 grams. Instead of spending their first days together at home, her parents found themselves fighting for their little girl's life.
No one knew whether her tiny body would be able to cope with challenges it was not yet ready to face. After several days, doctors even discussed the possibility of palliative care with her parents.
But her mum and dad kept believing in her.
"We never even considered that option. We believed in her."
Leontýnka's mum
And Leontýnka chose to fight. From a tiny 420-gram baby emerged a little fighter who shows every day just how much strength can be hidden in such a tiny body.
A Hospital Room Instead of a Crib
Leontýnka has been in hospital since the day she was born. Her mum stays by her side 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the family still does not know exactly when the moment they have been waiting for so desperately will finally come – the day they can take her home.
Leontýnka needs continuous oxygen support. Due to additional health complications, she undergoes numerous examinations and procedures. Every day, cerebrospinal fluid is drained from her Ommaya reservoir.
She is also learning something that comes naturally to a healthy baby – drinking from a bottle. But even ordinary feeding is exhausting for her tiny body. Her mum therefore still has to give her part of her nutrition through a feeding tube directly into her stomach.
One of the consequences of Leontýnka's extremely premature birth is bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Her lungs were not sufficiently developed when she was born. Breathing is therefore much more difficult and exhausting for her tiny body than it is for a healthy baby, and she continues to need oxygen support.
An Oxygen Monitor Would Make Caring for Her Easier
Leontýnka's mum is especially worried when her daughter is asleep. Leontýnka experiences breathing difficulties during sleep, and her lungs are not always able to provide her body with enough oxygen. In hospital, she is constantly surrounded by monitors, alarms and medical professionals.
With the Owlet Dream Sock smart monitor, Leontýnka's mum was able to monitor her heart rate and blood oxygen levels. If the device detects that something may be wrong, her mum immediately receives an alert through an app on her phone.
"At home, monitoring would make so many things easier for me. It would ease my fear that something might happen and I wouldn't notice. At the same time, I would also be able to think about the needs of my older daughter."
Leontýnka's mum
At home, her ten-year-old sister Tonička is also waiting for them. She is starting fifth grade and, like any other child, she needs her mum too. The family used to love spending time outdoors, going for walks and train journeys, swimming, picking mushrooms and going to football matches together. But for the past few months, their lives have revolved around the hospital.
For Leontýnka's mum, the monitoring device could provide greater reassurance while caring for her little girl, while also allowing her to devote some of her attention to Tonička.
Because Leontýnka has already spent long enough fighting for her life in hospital. Now we want to help her take the next step – towards home.
