30/09/2026
Today, on NICU Awareness Day, we're taking a moment to reflect on just how far families can come after a neonatal journey.
For many parents, those days and weeks spent in NICU can feel overwhelming. The uncertainty, the worry and the hopes held tightly for the future can seem all-consuming. Yet today, as we look at these photos of some of our Spoons families whose children have recently started, or returned to school, we're reminded of the incredible strength, resilience and progress that can follow those early challenges.
Jenica, mum to Remi, shared this reflection:
"If I could go back and speak to my past self during those difficult NICU days, I would tell her that the hard times are only temporary.
"The future is so incredibly bright for Remi. She is going to grow, flourish and achieve so much more than you could ever imagine possible in those moments.
"You may not be able to see it yet, but one day you'll look back and realise just how far she has come."
Aimee, whose two children both spent time in NICU, reflected on what these milestones mean years later:
"Now that my children are 6 and 7, it feels like we are that bit further on from our neonatal journey. But the anxiety and emotion still hits from time to time, especially around milestones such as 'Back to School'.
"It can be scary to watch them go off into the big wide world, but then I remind myself what a privilege it is to be witnessing them live a life that I once doubted would be possible for them.
"To all the neonatal babies now bigger and brighter and going off to school.... go live your best life!"
To every family currently navigating life in NICU, today we are thinking of you.
While every journey is different, we hope these smiling faces and stories offer a glimpse of what can be possible. We hope they remind you that there can be joy, growth and milestones ahead, even when they feel impossible to imagine. đź’™
