By Jessica Kyrkou, Registered Nurse, Mount Isa Hospital

When I started studying nursing, I was introduced to the idea of remote nursing and enthralled by the elements of adventure and the unique experiences of remote clinicians. Along the path of study, I also became very passionate about neonatal care. When thinking about graduate applications, I hardly knew anything about Mount Isa. But, when I discovered their Special Care Nursery, I felt it would be worthwhile applying. I was interested in learning about the health of our First Nations People and felt drawn to work in a remote location to learn more about their unique cultural care needs in a healthcare setting. 

After 15 years in nursing, I now work in the Mount Isa Special Care Nursery, where we care for babies from many rural and remote communities. The Nursery serves as the base for birthing families across the North West region of Queensland with an average of 470 babies born per year. With many of our patients coming from very remote towns, we are reliant on, and thankful for, the generous donations from the Humpty Dumpty Foundation to be able to support premature or medically vulnerable babies in their own country. 

On Thursday before the Easter long weekend, I said goodbye to our neonatal nurse practitioner Jo and wished her a relaxing break. Not long after getting home, Jo called me to say that a special little Easter Bunny had made his way into the world and needed some help breathing, so we all quickly rescheduled our Easter to help support newborn baby Digby, and the other babies in the nursery. 

When babies are born, their respiratory system undergoes a major transition – from an underwater being that receives oxygen through the placenta to an independent baby who must breathe for themselves. Some babies like Digby can struggle with this transition and require extra care to support them. Baby Digby needed CPAP (constant positive airway pressure) to help him breathe. Babies requiring interventions like CPAP are at risk of developing jaundice due to the interruption to their regular newborn feeding – and this was the case for baby Digby. 

Baby Digby needed respiratory support at birth

Coates - through the Humpty Dumpty Foundation - recently donated a Bilisoft LED Phototherapy System that treats babies with jaundice in an open cot, allowing their parents to still take them out for feeding. We were very grateful for the donated Bilisoft to give Digby quick and effective treatment, allowing him to promptly get back into the loving arms of his mum, Tarhynee, who said:

‘It is very reassuring that living in a remote area like Mount Isa, we don’t have to be flown to other towns far away from our families … we can depend on our local hospital.’

It is such a privilege for me to be involved in the care of babies like Digby and to see them improve and go home with their families. We are very fortunate to have donations of high-quality equipment in Mount Isa that allow us to care for our babies, who are very far from tertiary facilities.

Today, Digby is a thriving three-year-old