A mum from Arnold has praised staff on the Neonatal Unit at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) after they cared for her son for more than a month after he was born prematurely.

Emma Croghan from Arnold has thanked the team for their outstanding medical care after they cared for son Theo, who was born weighing just 3lbs 10oz, and spent 44 days on the neonatal unit at QMC in August this year.

The 33-year-old said: “We went to visit the unit before he was born in preparation for what was ahead and although it was an alien to us seeing all the wires and systems that were going to be used, when Theo was born it did help us understand the next steps would be.”

Little Theo was born at just 31 weeks old, and was a complex birth following an earlier problem with Emma’s liver.

The mum of two was born with biliary atresia, which meant her bile ducts did not work properly, and she suffered a damaging build-up of bile in her liver. At seven years old she had a liver transplant.

Emma said: “The team were lovely. They were very in control of the situation but allowed us to parent as much as possible in the situation. They were genuine people who really cared not just about Theo but about us his family.

“I have had two babies in Neonatal care in two different hospitals and I would come back here every time should I ever need to, although I hope I don’t!

“I cannot thank the nurses at the neonatal unit enough for the care me, my son and my family received. They made it extremely easy for us to bring Theo’s little brother William onto the ward.

She added: “They were very lovely and extremely supportive on the days when it all got too much and you are crying in the coffee room.”

Dr Stephen Wardle, Consultant Neonatologist at Nottingham University Hospitals, said: “The main risks of having had a liver transplant are that the immunosuppressant drugs used to treat patients could affect the baby’s growth and lead to a small baby who might be born early. Emma has had a lot of experience of hospital care because of her own medical care, which makes her kind words particularly special. 

“We try hard on the neonatal unit to provide care for the whole family and involve parents with the care of their baby and it is pleasing to hear that Emma felt that we achieved this and that they all felt cared for.”

Residents in Gedling borough can now recycle their Christmas trees after the festive period and raise money for a good cause in Mapperley.

Nottinghamshire Hospice has teamed up with Nottingham company Streetwise Environmental to collect trees which will then be put through a woodchipper to be recycled or reused on local parks. 

Volunteer van drivers will collect from households in in the borough between January 7-9 in return for a voluntary donation which will benefit patients with a terminal illness across Nottinghamshire.  

Sarah Dunning, corporate fundraiser for Nottinghamshire Hospice, said:“If you are having a real Christmas tree this year let us help you dispose of it after the festive season is over. This is the easiest and greenest way to get rid of your tree as we will collect from your door.

“Every single penny raised through donations will make a huge difference to the Nottinghamshire community by enabling us to continue running our services free of charge to those who need us.”  

Susan Harvey, business development manager from Streetwise who will be helping to recycle the trees said: “Streetwise is dedicated to the environment and we value the importance of being eco-friendly.”

For the full list of postcodes and to register your tree, visit https://just-helping.org.uk/xmas-trees/

The charity is also looking for more volunteers and van drivers to help with collecting the trees. If you have time to help please email fundraising@nottshospice.org as soon as possible.

Bin collection dates over the Christmas period in Gedling borough have now been confirmed by the council.

The bank holidays over the festive season mean all waste and recycling box collections scheduled for next week will be on a different day to normal.

If your bin is due to be collected on any of these days, please put it out before 6am.

The council say they will also take two extra bags over the festive period and if you have extra recycling, please leave it in cardboard boxes next to your bin.

The council will also remind you when to put your bin out when you sign up to their email reminder service. Once you’ve signed up, you will receive an email the night before to tell you what bin you need to put out and what can go in it.

You can sign up for the service here: https://apps.gedling.gov.uk/refuse/search.aspx

Revellers in Gedling borough are being urged to stay safe while out drinking out over the festive period.

Nottinghamshire Police are reminding people heading out for a few drinks over the festive period to drink responsibly and also plan their journey home – using public transport or a taxi if you’ve had an alcoholic drink.

The Force are also asking people to take steps to ensure their drinks aren’t spiked.

Police are telling people not to leave their drink unattended – take it with you wherever you go.

They also say that if someone offers to buy you a festive drink, make sure you go to the bar with them and watch your drink the whole time and not to let them go to the bar on their own – although it might seem extreme, there are a lot of opportunities for someone to interfere with a drink whilst at the bar alone.

Police are also advising people to try to have drinks from bottles, as the necks make it difficult for someone to drop something in. You can also get ‘alcotops’ or ‘spikeys’ for bottles.

Also, If you’re unsure about your drink, don’t drink it and tell a friend or member of staff. Don’t leave it on the side – either take it back to the bar or pour it away yourself.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “We’d love to not have to put this advice out but, unfortunately, there are some people who see your big night out as an opportunity for crime. With that in mind, please take care with your drink to ensure it’s not spiked.

“Also, look after each other and make sure you and your friends get home safely.”

Police advice on spiked drinks

What is used to spike a drink?

There are several methods used to spike a drink – the most common is adding alcohol to a non-alcoholic drink or adding extra to an alcoholic drink. However certain drugs can also be used – these are added to alcohol and act as a powerful sedative. They can cause the person to become ill, fall unconscious and, in extreme cases, it can even lead to death.

What are the signs?

Depending on whether a drug was used, the signs that someone has been ‘spiked’ can appear in as little as 15 minutes and can, potentially, last for several hours. A number of the symptoms are similar to the effects of alcohol and that make it difficult to know if someone has had their drink ‘spiked’ – however, the main difference is how severe the symptoms are. While alcohol can severely affect someone, it often takes numerous drinks before that occurs. Drugs, on the other hand, can start affecting someone within a few minutes.

If someone is displaying the below symptoms and you’re concerned about them, make sure you stay with them, get them any medical attention they need and ensure they get home safely.

There are a range of things to look out for, which include:

• Confusion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Hallucinations
• Disorientation
• Loss of ability to communicate properly
• Paranoia
• Poor coordination
• Unconsciousness

What should you do if you think your drink has been spiked?

• Tell the people you’re with and make sure you’re someone where you feel safe.
• Alert a member of staff at the pub or club you are at. We’re currently rolling out a training programme to all bar staff, venue staff, door staff and taxi marshals in the city centre, to help them recognise when someone is vulnerable and provide them with appropriate support. We’re also working with McDonalds to help train their teams as well
• If you feel unwell you should seek medical attention immediately and tell them that you believe your drink has been spiked.
• Report it to the police as soon as possible. Drugs can leave the body in as little as 12 hours after consumption so it’s important you get tested quickly. We know that your memory can be affected by some of the drugs used to spike drinks, but we’ll need as much detail as possible to help us investigate. That might involve asking you to try and remember some of the below details:
• Do you know who spiked your drink?
• If you don’t know who spiked your drink, do you remember what they looked like, or any other details about them?
• What happened throughout the evening, and after your drink was spiked?
• Was anything taken from you?
• Were you physically attacked?

How to protect your drink

• Never leave your drink unattended – take it with you wherever you go and, if the club doesn’t allow drinks on the dancefloor, take time to finish your drink before you hit the dancefloor, rather than leaving it on a table for later.
• If someone offers to buy you’re a drink, make sure you go to the bar with them and watch your drink the whole time. Don’t let them go to the bar on their own, as there are far too many opportunities for someone to interfere with your drink. Similarly, keep an eye out for people trying to distract you from your drink.
• Wherever possible, have drinks from bottles – the necks make it more difficult to drop something into the bottle and you can also get ‘alcotops’ or ‘spikeys’ to fit bottles and protect your drink
• Let someone know where you are going and what time they can expect you back – plan your route home in advance
• If you are unsure about your drink, don’t drink it and tell a friend or member of staff. Don’t leave it on the side – either take it back to the bar or pour it away yourself.
• Keep an eye on your friends and ensure you all get home safely

A baby and toddler group in Woodthorpe has helped raise almost £7,000 to spread Christmas cheer to children spending the festive period at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre.

Little Lambs Baby & Toddler Group, which operates from The Church of the Good Shepherd on Thackeray’s Lane, teamed up with 20 Co-op stores to raise the cash, which will now be used to buy presents for sick children at the hospital in Nottingham.

The baby and toddler group launched the fundraising drive after hearing how the hospital had cared for three children known to them – Sophia Benedek, Poppy McGill and Aurora Pennacchia

Through a dedicated coffee morning and further generous donations, Little Lambs managed to raise £758.58. But several thousands of pounds were soon added to the total after 20 local Co-op stores got involved in the campaign.

The supermarket giant decided to help boost fundraising efforts after hearing about the campaign from Sarah Benedek, a member of the Little Lambs team who knew the manager at the local Co-op Gedling Road store and mentioned the group’s bid in passing.

Sarah, whose own daughter received treatment at the Children’s Ambulatory Care Unit at QMC earlier this year, said: “I knew Debs Bradley [the store manager] through joint fundraising work we do at Gedling Country Park.

“I happened to mention that it would be great if we could bring a little Christmas magic to the poorly children at QMC this year and she was an absolute star, certainly far exceeding any hopes we had.”

Debs Bradley, Store Manager of Co-op Gedling Road, took the idea to her area manager, Alastair Cook, who then persuaded all 20 stores in his care to join the campaign.

Mr Cook said: “When Debs raised the idea at the monthly regional meeting, it was a no-brainer. All of my 20 store managers agreed to help straight away. Just by simple actions such as putting buckets by till points for customers to drop in their loose change, our local stores collected £6,210.45 in six weeks.

“I am so proud of my team and the amazing customers who generously supported this campaign.”

Evaventually the Group and 20 Co-op stores managed to raise a combined total of £6969.03 to spend on items that the children needed. 

Earlier this week, Little Lambs representatives, including one-year-old Aurora Pennacchia who received cochlear implants at the QMC, along with store managers from the Co-op, delivered the Christmas gifts to the hospital.

Rebecca Burke, group leader for Little Lambs said: “We’re truly overwhelmed by how such a small idea has snowballed into something so amazing.

“We’re so grateful to the hospital for looking after our children so well and we wanted to give something back. We cannot thank those who attend Little Lambs and the Co-op enough for getting on board, especially all their customers for supporting this project.”

The money raised has been used to equip a new teenage room with the latest gaming gadgets including a PS4 and 32” TV plus games.                                                                               

More than 10 portable DVD players were also purchased, to distract children attending for day treatments and operations. Local families, Co-op customers and staff donated hundreds of DVDs to keep the children entertained while receiving treatment. 

There was enough money to refresh the toys in the treatment waiting areas and over £2,000 was spent on Christmas presents and gift cards for Santa to give out next week. A bag full of batteries and over 50 metres of gift wrap was also provided.

In addition, the generous volunteers at the Gedling Play Forum donated paints, paper and craft activities for the children to enjoy.

Claire Wright, Play Specialist at the Children’s Ambulatory Care Unit, QMC said: “We are just so overwhelmed by these generous donations. It’s been absolutely amazing. To us, this is the most amazing big deal.”

Finally, Co-op also donated food and treats to be enjoyed throughout the festive period by anyone on ward, including the doctors, nurses and support workers. 

“They might not be at home for Christmas but we’ve been able to bring a little bit of festive magic to the children, their families and the army of angels who look after them on ward this year,” concludes Deb Bradley, Store Manager of Co-op Gedling Road.