Matt Hewson
Walk for Prems, an annual event held to raise awareness and funds for the 48,000 babies born sick or premature in Australia each year, will be held on Sunday, October 23.
Now in its thirteenth year, Walk for Prems is the largest fundraising event for the Life’s Little Treasures Foundation, which supports the families of babies born before 37 weeks gestation.
Kathryne and Mathew Tabb are the parents of little Charlie, who arrived three months early with a raft of health problems including severely underdeveloped lungs.
After receiving help and support from Life’s Little Treasures after Charlie’s birth, the Tabbs have mobilised their relatives and friends to join in on this year’s Walk for Prems.
“When we were in the Special Care Nursery one of the ladies asked me if I’d heard about Life’s Little Treasures,” Mrs Tabb said.
“I hadn’t, and she told me about the support they provide and the little pack with goodies and information they give you.
“Reading up on everything and knowing exactly what was available was just great. And when I saw the walk was coming up, I thought it would be really good for my family and friends to connect and get behind Charlie and Life’s Little Treasures.”
The theme of this year’s walk is ‘Big Steps for Little Treasures’, and Life’s Little Treasures CEO Felicia Welstead said it perfectly encapsulated the foundation’s intention.
“We have a wonderful opportunity to really make a difference and this year, we are encouraging everyone to step up and step out to help raise awareness and much needed funds for families of premature and sick babies,” Ms Welstead said.
“Walk for Prems is a wonderfully inclusive and supportive community event and we have planned lots of great activities and competitions throughout the countdown to the event.
“Our Instagram and Facebook pages are very active and we have a Walk For Prems Facebook group where people can share tips, offer words of encouragement and connect with other families.”
