Elgin nurse organizes 5K to help new moms who are separated from babies
A fundraiser organized by an Elgin nurse aims to help moms separated from their newborn babies for medical reasons to feel a little closer to their infants.
The Virtual Family Fun FBC 5K was organized by Stacie Doyle of Elgin, a labor and delivery nurse at Advocate Sherman Hospital for the past 15 years. Proceeds will help purchase livestream video cameras that will be used in the special care nursery at Sherman.
Doyle said she sees moms every day who can't immediately be with their newborn child because of various medical conditions. Some are separated for 24 hours, some for days, she said.
She remembered what it was like as a "C-section mom" about 10 years ago, when her baby was whisked away for more than four hours, a relatively short time period that seemed interminable to her then.
"It got me thinking about ways to make moms in that situation more connected to their babies, versus not having that instant moment like so many other parents get to have," she said.
The plan Doyle came up with was spawned from a continuing education study she completed this year. Using a Nicview web camera system Doyle acquired on loan, a mom could watch her newborn from a secure connection on a phone or tablet.
Her study found moms who were able to see their babies on the monitor pumped more breast milk - and more often - than moms who couldn't see their infants.
As a bonus, relatives from out of town were able to peek in on the baby using a secure code.
"Patients loved it," Doyle said. "Satisfaction went through the roof."
The solution created another problem, however. The cameras cost about $7,000 each and they're not yet commonly used in hospitals, Doyle said.
In order to get the ball rolling, Doyle decided to fundraise for the first camera with the 5K. She started planning it in March, but uncertainty about the pandemic, as well as not knowing how many people would be interested, led her to make the event virtual.
Participants can register online at www.goneforarun.com/virtual-races/ by July 5 for $40, which is collected by the Advocate Charitable Foundation. Runners can then do the 5K on their own time. Racers get a T-shirt, a race medal and can download a bib to make the experience feel more authentic if they choose.
"It would be lovely if this could turn into an annual event that we could actually hold at the hospital," Doyle said. "I'd love to have several of the cameras to give moms more opportunity for bonding and connection."