“a campaign that dares to color the future pink”
The Fondo Rosado supported and financed the program “Hogar de Madres” of the foundation Alvarez Caldeyro Barcia from 2006 until July 2010. The “Hogar de Madres”, supports mothers of premature babies that are born in the public hospital Pereira Rossell. While their babies need to stay in the intensive care unit, the mothers live in the “Hogar”. During these very uncertain and difficult times the women are supported and accompanied during 24 hours by a team of professionals formed by doctors, nurses, social workers and educators.
One of the main objectives of the program is that the mothers are able to stay near their fragile babies, hereby strengthening the mother-child bond during the hospitalization. The special relationship created between the educators and the mother’s permits the team to continue supporting them even after their hospital stay. This is an important element, because the health of their babies is still at risk even after they go back to their homes.
la vida bienvenida
From the first day I entered the Pereira Rossell, I felt it under my skin. The penetrating smell, the sounds of the intensive care, the emotions you can feel in the air and the utmost dedication of the doctors, nurses and all other people working here to welcome a new life. The sensation to enter a completely intimate world, were days and nights are merged.
A birth is magical when everything goes well, however when the birth of a baby becomes complicated, a very thin line arises between life and death. Some of the premature babies stay up to months in the intensive care. Their mothers, often without means, live their lives during this time completely isolated from their environment, some completely devoted to their babies, others too young to face this difficult ordeal.
At first all babies looked the same, but from the moment I started to photograph them, days and nights, focusing on their different characters, moments, details and situations, I started to discover the personality and history of each of them.
I am very thankful to have been given the opportunity to enter this intimate world that has permitted us to show from very nearby what is happening inside the hospital.
I would especially like to thank all mothers and babies who this time are the real protagonists.
Going through Bulevar Artigas and passing by the Pereira Rossell will never be the same, it has changed forever.
Susette Kok.
Achievements:
“Hogar de Madres”
Since its inception, more than 1500 mothers have stayed in the Hogar. They stay from weeks up to months depending on the evolution of their babies.
An agreement with the health services provider SEMM, guarantees 100% health coverage of the first year of life for premature babies living in Montevideo.
From July 2010 the Álvarez Caldeyro Barcia foundation which created and administrated the “Hogar” from its beginning, took full responsibility for the program.
Our philosophy has always been to provide self-sustainability to every project we embark on. As for the “Hogar” we believe we have achieved such goal, as it will remain in the professional and caring hands of the Álvarez Caldeyro Barcia foundation.
Today the mothers count on a safe and pleasant place to stay with 24-hour care and special education.
If you would like to continue supporting the “Hogar de Madres” program please contact with: www.fundacionalvarezcaldeyrobarcia.org
In 2009 the Fondo Rosado achieved that the government declared September 9, as “The National Day for Preventing Prematurity”, stressing the importance of education and prevention of prematurity. (see 0909). The strong repercussion of the campaign showed the importance of working this subject on a countrywide level. We were especially encouraged by small communities without many resources, which have been working for years towards improving the lives of babies and their families in the interior of the country.
Other achievements
The donation of a laser equipment for the prevention of blindness of premature babies in the hospital. 100% of the babies inside the intensive care in the hospital are being controlled daily which allowed to reduce the amount of blindness significantly. Blindness is one of the most severe consequences of premature birth.
The donation of 5 lights for phototherapy to the Hospital Pereira Rossell used for the treatment of jaundice in newborns.
From 2006 to 2008 the Fondo Rosado financed two medical professionals of the Otolaryngology department with the objective to strenghten its department, the objective of this program is the early detection and treatment of deafness in premature babies. Not only the consequences of this disease have been reduced but today both doctors are forming part of the permanent staff of the hospital and legally these exams became obligatory for all newborn babie.
