A Lincolnshire community midwife and hospital consultant have won a national award after being nominated by a new mum diagnosed with cancer during her pregnancy.
Louise Beevers nominated Community Midwife Laura Fullwood and Obstetric Consultant Sarah Harper for a UK Maternity Unit Marvels (MUM) Award in recognition of the outstanding care they provided for her and her baby Suzy both in the community and at Lincoln County Hospital.
The UK MUM Awards, run by the charity Baby Lifeline, are an opportunity for families to thank and celebrate the professionals who really made a difference during their pregnancy, birth and in the first few weeks of their baby’s life. Each year, families can nominate those who made a really difference in their maternity care. Regional and national winners are selected by a multi-professional judging panel.
This year the Midlands and National Award was won by two United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) staff members for Louise and Suzy’s story.
Louise, 40, from Gainsborough said: “At 22 weeks pregnant I was tragically diagnosed with grade three breast cancer. The care I received from my Community Midwife Laura Fullwood and Obstetric Consultant Sarah Harper was awe-inspiringly amazing.
“Both Laura and Sarah went above and beyond throughout this life changing process. Not only were they there through the major surgery and recovery afterwards, but they also helped bring forward the induction date for the delivery of Suzy at 36 weeks when I was told the cancer was growing again.
“Laura and Sarah’s compassion, commitment and understanding has made me feel safe and secure in my most vulnerable of times. Both of these ladies have been my absolute rock throughout this life changing process.”
Laura, Sarah and members of the Trust’s maternity management team recently attended the awards ceremony in London to receive their award.
Laura said: “Being part of Louise’s journey was an absolute pleasure. Complex multi-disciplinary cases like this can be a challenge but it is what we are here for and is why I love my job so much. Winning the award was just an added bonus.”
Libby Grooby, ULHT Divisional Head of Nursing and Midwifery, said: “It is stories like Louise’s that remind us why we chose this profession. Being able to care for both mum and baby in such complex circumstances highlights the amazing skills our staff have. I am immensely proud of what our teams do on a daily basis and am thrilled to see them get the recognition they deserve.”