Army art 'transition' exhibition

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Army Art is Perth's premier fundraising art exhibition event that showcases existing & emerging West Australian artists to raise money for West Australian charities. Established in 1974 they are Perth's longest running charity exhibition and have displayed original art from over 300 Western Australian artists.

Army Art is managed 100% by a volunteer committee with members having a wide range of skills and with many having a direct link to the Defence Force. Their support team incorporates up to 80 volunteers who all give freely of their time in the lead up to Opening Night.

On August 24th after doors open at 7pm, special guest, The Honourable Kim Beazley AC, Governor of Western Australia will officially open Army Art 2018.  Admittance to Opening Night is by ticket only and they are now available to purchase for $20.00 per person (plus booking fee).

Come along and enjoy some wonderful Western Australian art work, some fabulous wine, delicious food and grea company. Proceeds from this event have the potential to DOUBLE our programs so we ask that you share with all of your art loving friends to help make it as successful as possible!

Admittance to the exhibition over the weekend of August 25th-26th is by gold coin donation. Army Art will be open from 10.00am to 5.00pm on Saturday and from 10.00am to 4.00pm on Sunday.

To find our more about the artists exhibiting please visit the Army Art website and to stay up to date with this event please follow their Facebook page.

If you would like to volunteer to help with setup, pack up, or throughout the exhibition on behalf of Tiny Sparks please contact Army Art directly via their website here, but let them know we sent you.  Many hands make light work and this will be a really fun event to be involved in.

Work by Exhibiting Artist Joanne Duffy

Exhibiting Artist Francesca Gnagnarella

Exhibiting artist Sally Edmonds at work in her studio

"I thought I was living a nightmare."

Blog post by Mum and Volunteer Sheree.

It was a Sunday afternoon and I was relaxing watching Netflix, as I'd been feeling a bit off with a mild headache.  I was 33 weeks pregnant.  I remember laying there thinking surely I can't get much bigger than I currently am, and just thought I was tired from working and that was the reason for my headache.

I had a rough nights sleep that night and called in sick the next morning as I just didn't feel like I had the energy to go.  I had an appointment with my obstetrician that afternoon, but I still just thought what I was experiencing was normal pregnancy symptoms.  It was at that appointment I was told I was being admitted to hospital for observation as I was showing early signs of pre-eclampsia.  I was scared and severely emotional.

My baby was the result of a hard journey through IVF and the very thought of any threat in my pregnancy resulting in anything other than our dram come true, was too much to bare.  I was a total mess.  My night that night in the hospital was full of hourly checks and observations and by morning I was told by my obstetrician than I wasn't to return to work, as I was still borderline pre-eclampsia, but I was fine to head home on bed rest.

I spent the next 4 days sitting on the couch taking it easy, but on Friday night I began to feel off - a little nauseous and that headache was back. I didn’t know whether to think too much into it or whether to go to the hospital. After an hour wondering I decided to at least call the hospital. After telling them how I was feeling they advised me to come in. So off we went to the hospital and I was hooked up to a machine to see how the baby was going. He was doing well, but I was not. The doctor told my husband and I that my liver and kidneys were showing signs of being in distress and whilst it wasn’t an absolute emergency that night, I was to stay in hospital. I thought I was living a nightmare. I was so scared for my baby and the thought of him being born early was too much for me to cope with. I was an emotional wreck.

The next three days were a routine of hourly checks and lots of blood tests. By Monday morning my obstetrician wasn’t willing to hold off any longer and I was to have a caesarean that morning, as my condition had worsened. Again with the freaking out.

The nurses were so supportive. I was taken down to the Neonatal Unit to see where my baby would go when he was born. It was weirdly comforting and intense all at the same time. The nurses talked me through what some of the machines were and what role they would play for my baby. 

My son was born 3 hours later at 33 weeks and 4 days. He came out crying and weed everywhere, so I was able to hold him before he was taken away. It was this moment I hadn’t wanted to miss out, of all the moments you get when having a baby. I was so amazingly happy and so in love. 

We spent 3 weeks in NICU before my son was able to come home. The nurses and doctors in our nursery were absolutely amazing. I was allowed to be my sons mother. Even though changing a baby with cords is difficult, it was amazing. The day we were told we could take him home, I panicked. We were in this safe little bubble in the nursery and it just seemed so scary that suddenly I really would be totally in charge. 

My son is now 14 months old. He’s endured two surgeries in his short life, but he is healthy, happy and totally adorable. When we think back to our time in the nursery, we just remember how lucky we were that all our little man had to do was grow a little. For some this isn’t the case. The experience has made us more aware of what others sometimes have to go through, and how lucky we are. Every day with our son is amazing.

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We welcome you to share your story with us.  Please e-mail your story along with a few pictures to admin@tinysparkswa.org.au with 'Family Story' in the subject.

The Brightest Brains Trust - Quiz Night Wrap Up

{ T H A N K Y O U }

To all of the amazing people who joined us at our annual Quiz Night on Saturday 21 July, thank you for coming and we are so pleased to hear you all had a fabulous evening!  Congratulations to our table prize winners, head & tails, paper planes and true or false, so much fun was had.

This event would not have been possible without the generous support of the wider community.  Please join us in thanking:

• Stirling Adriatic Centre and Bowling Club
• Harmans Estate
• The Perth Mint
• Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough
• Mandurah Home Loans
• Totally Tailored Tuition
• Vera Coleski Makeup Artistry
• Spineless Classics
• Fremantle Prison
• Priceline Australia
• Olistan Consulting Pty Ltd
• West Australian Symphony Orchestra
• Bumps that Borrow - Maternity Dress Hire
• Sweet & Loveable Designs
• Loving Kreations 

Thank you for listening deeply and hearing that our story is just one iteration of 4,000 stories in WA each year and 15 million stories world wide.

We are so, SO, very grateful to each of you for supporting Tiny Sparks WA in our endeavours!

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Coming up next...

Next month we are honoured to have been chosen as beneficiaries of the Army Art 'Transition' Exhibition.  This fine art exhibition will take place over the weekend of 24-26 August.  Please consider coming along to the opening night of the exhibition on Friday 24 August.  Tickets are available here.  Keep up to date with this event via their Facebook page.

WA Preterm Birth Initiative National Rollout

Right from the start we have known that the best thing for families is for each pregnancy to go full term.   In the unfortunate event that it doesn’t go to plan, then we are here to provide support (practical and peer), education and guidance to help families through this traumatic time.

Professor John Newnham AM together with Deputy Premier, Health Minister Roger Cook MP.

In 2013 when we were approached to join the Steering Committee for the WA Preterm Birth Initiative we jumped at the chance.  Being part of the preterm birth community we are great advocates and offered the researchers a unique perspective.  We also knew just how significant the potential impact could be, not just on families in Western Australia but across Australia and around the world.

Professor John Newnham AM and his team at the Women’s and Infants Research Foundation had developed 7 intervention strategies that they believed if implemented effectively, would lower the rate of preterm birth.

He and his team set off around WA educating medical professionals on the intervention strategies.  They launched a public awareness campaign The Whole Nine Months which we assisted with the promotion of.  We know that every day we can prolong a pregnancy is a day a family isn’t worrying in the neonatal unit.  Outcomes for babies are significantly better even if the pregnancy is only prolonged for a few days or a week.  Throughout this roll out we were cheering them on and hoping that the results would be remarkable!!

Professor John Newnham AM, Deputy Premier, Health Minister Roger Cook MP, Amber Bates Chairperson & Co-founder Tiny Sparks WA and Adison Bates.

After just 1 year of implementation we were delighted to hear that the rate of preterm birth in WA had been reduced by a staggering 8%.  That was a whopping 200 families saved from the impact of prematurity.  Saved from watching their baby fight for life in the neonatal unit.  Saved from the developmental challenges and medical fragility that face those born preterm.  WOW!!

This week we were honoured to stand with Professor John Newnham AM and Deputy Premier, Health Minister Roger Cook MP as they announced the national roll out of the WA Preterm Birth Initiative.  What a fabulous day for Australian families!!

These strategies once rolled out across the nation have the potential (if similar results can be replicated) to save thousands of babies from preterm birth each year!

It has been a privilege to play a very, very small part in this program and we will keep cheering and watching the statistics closely.  Prevention of preterm birth is vital.

You can read more about the specific intervention strategies that form the basis of this program here -> http://info.thewest.com.au/westadvertising/feature/20180328/index.html

Dial an Elf

When good people come together amazing things happen!

We are so pleased to announce that we are partnering with Communified Inc for their Dial an Elf program to support our families in more ways that they need during their long neonatal unit stay.

Established in 2014 the Dial an Elf program has been networking volunteers with families to cook, clean, garden, walk your dog, provide transport and a wealth of other services so that families can focus on their children during long term hospital admissions.
 

When your life is thrown into complete chaos by the neonatal unit it is comforting to know you can access volunteers to support you in your journey, so you can maximise time with your baby in the nursery. Research shows when parents are actively engaged in their child’s care the outcomes for baby, and mental health outcomes for parents/carers are improved.

Tiny Sparks WA Co-founder Amber Bates with Communified Inc Co-founder Rhiannon Williams

All volunteers undergo rigorous screening processes along with training to ensure the safety and wellbeing of your family at all times.  Recognising that the neonatal unit journey does not end the moment you are discharged, supports are able to be continued until you are back on your feet.

We would encourage you to follow them on Facebook here. If you hold a current police clearance and would like to support families in a tangible way please volunteer with them and very soon you’ll be cooking, cleaning, gardening, collecting mail, putting a bin out, driving someone to visit their baby, or helping in another truly meaningful way.

If you are a current NICU family in need please e-mail admin@tinysparkswa.org.au to discuss applying for this program.  Assistance is currently available throughout the Perth metropolitan area and volunteers are currently being sort in the south west.

Dial an Elf we love your work and are proud to partner with you to support our families in this way ❤️❤️