Our Christchurch NICU is under more pressure than ever before — caring for up to 60 fragile newborns every single day. That’s a sharp rise from an average of 40 babies in 2014.

From babies born extremely early to those arriving full-term but needing urgent medical attention, our team provides specialist, life-saving care. In 2023 alone, 841 premature babies were born in Christchurch — and many full-term newborns also required intensive support in their first hours or days.

These tiny patients often need urgent, delicate transfers within the hospital. For that, we rely on internal transport incubators — specially designed units with built-in ventilators and temperature/humidity control to keep babies stable during movement. But our current incubators are aging and can’t keep up with the demand.

“Internal transport incubators are absolutely vital in our neonatal unit. They allow us to safely move our most vulnerable babies between departments for urgent scans, surgery, or specialist treatment. As demand on our service grows, so does the need for more incubators that are reliable, modern, and purpose-built. Having the right equipment ensures we can continue to provide the highest standard of care, without delay.”
— Bronwyn Dixon, Medical Specialist, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Christchurch Hospital

In the past decade, the number of babies needing respiratory support post-birth — whether premature or full-term — has more than doubled, making dependable transport incubators more critical than ever.

Your donation today can help us replace our outdated units with modern, life-saving incubators — ensuring every baby gets the safe, stable, and specialised care they deserve from their very first moments.