McLeod Foundation Donors Understand The Little Things, Too

Your Gifts Cool Anxiety for New Moms

McLeod Health Foundation donors like you have generously supported the McLeod Children’s Hospital for decades, funding critical care for our tiniest and most vulnerable patients.

This year, you also demonstrated that meaningful impact often comes from providing exactly what is needed at exactly the right moment. 

Imagine going into unexpected labor at 28 weeks. Your baby is transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at McLeod Regional Medical Center, 45 minutes from home. It is the height of summer and money is incredibly tight.

The only way you have to transport your breast milk, your baby’s lifeblood, is a plastic bag, with no ice, and it is July. Formula and donor breast milk are expensive, and your stress makes it difficult to produce milk.

Situations like these prompted Leslie Rogers, Director of Nursing at the McLeod NICU in Florence, to act on behalf of all moms and the tiniest of babies as she requested funding from the Foundation.

“Breast milk is the best medicine for premature babies and gives them the greatest long-term health outcomes. Whatever makes it easier for moms to provide their infants breast milk, is what we should be doing,” Leslie says.

Leslie’s passion and experience have shown her that the best way to assist moms and babies is to put the tools they need directly in their hands, in this case, insulated cooler bags full of supplies like bottles, freezer packs, hand sanitizer, a journal, pen, and lip balm -- nearly everything a mom needs to provide the best for her baby.

“McLeod Foundation donors know that the little things separate good from excellent,” she continued. “Removing this burden, melting away this anxiety, increases moms’ trust in us and helps make our NICU top-notch.”

On a final note, Leslie added, “Without the McLeod Health Foundation supporters, we would not have been able to start this program, which means so much to us and our moms.”