Connect 18

Whatever the season, The Champion Centre is always buzzing with activity: play; movement; singing and the achievement of new milestones. While it’s been very warm and cosy at the Centre during these Winter weeks, we can’t wait for Spring when we will be able get outside, into our beautiful playground!

One of the fundamental principles underpinning our work at The Champion Centre is the partnership between parents and staff. Staff bring their skills and expertise together with parents’ understandings of their children, and the goals they have for them. It’s this partnership which creates the highly individualised programmes for each child. We are privileged to see this partnership in action every day, and the commitment demonstrated by staff and parents to their tamariki.

Equally important are the relationships made between families. In this edition of Connect we are grateful to Emma, Jonty’s Mum, for sharing her family's journey. She touches on how helpful it is to connect with other Mums. We’re also keen to share with you a new initiative, born from one Mum's drive to support others.

And finally, we’re proud to share with you the launch of a new book on Prematurity. This is a joint initiative by The Champion Centre and The Champion Foundation Trust.

Happy Reading,

Lauren and Wendy

CENTRE HAPPENINGS

Our Champion Village

We are delighted to be supporting a new initiative from one of our parents, Cassie. Knowing how hard some days can be as a parent, Cassie was keen to find a way to help others and loves the idea of families supporting one another. One idea was to have a freezer at the Centre, which could be stocked with frozen meals, for parents to take from when needed.

​Thanks to a very generous donor, Cassie’s idea has come to life. We now have a new freezer and are accepting donations of frozen meals from other parents and anyone who wishes to contribute. This will mean that whenever someone might be in need, (maybe they’re having a tough time, have a busy day full of appointments, or having a day when thinking about preparing dinner is just one thing too many) they can take a meal.

If you, or someone you know would like to contribute a meal for the freezer, please get in touch with one of our family support team members, Marguerite: ​marguerite.wilson@championcentre.org.nz.

Thanks Cassie, for all you have done and are doing for our Centre!

Billboard

One of our incredibly generous donors has gifted us a space on their billboard at 55 Riccarton Road!

Be sure to look out for our advert which is helping spread the word about our important work.

Financial Wellness Group Fundraising Event

We are extremely grateful to the Financial Wellness Group for putting on an amazing fundraising event for The Champion Centre. Their incredible team organised a great night, involving signature blend beers on tap, drinks and nibbles, comedians, and messages from some famous supporters of The Champion Centre. Mark O'Loughlin from Harcourts acted as auctioneer extraordinaire for numerous items generously donated by the Financial Wellness Group's community networks. Our highlight was hearing from Julie, a Champion Centre Mum who spoke of her journey and the importance of the Centre to her family.

Sending a big thank you to Dan, Julie, their whānau, the team at Financial Wellness Group and your community for your support, which will hugely support our work.

JONTY'S JOURNEY

Emma is a very proud mum to Jonty who has been attending The Champion Centre for nearly 4 years.  Through Emma’s work, she knew what the Champion Centre did in her community even before she reached out for our Early Intervention Services on a more personal level.

Emma shared that Jonty is an ‘IVF miracle’ who has beaten the odds many times. Following her 12 week scan, Emma was told there was a high likelihood that her baby had Down syndrome, and further testing confirmed this.

That very same day, Emma phoned Marguerite, one of the Family Support Team, for advice on how her whānau could attend The Champion Centre as soon as her child was born.   Marguerite advised her of the next steps and said she would remain in touch. Emma and Sam knew that despite the challenges that lay ahead, they both wanted this baby and that they already had the support of The Champion Centre and both their families to help in the early years.  Emma is so happy to have Jonty in her life.  As she says: “I love and adore this kid”.

One of the most difficult days Emma recalls was during the first week she spent in NICU

(Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) with her new baby boy. He had to go through extensive tests that the family found very upsetting. They were very happy when the day came to leave

NICU and take their baby home. 

Jonty’s first visit to The Champion Centre came only a couple of months after his arrival into this world. He had a feeding tube and Emma was still coming to terms with all of the equipment she needed to carry around for a baby with additional needs. Emma said coming to the Centre and meeting other parents in a similar situation was great and made her feel much less isolated. She saw some parents who seemed to share the “survival mode” she was in and clearly understood the struggles she was facing. Emma has made long lasting connections with these parents.  She also witnessed other parents with children a little older than Jonty, who were setting goals for them and reaching them with the help of the Champion Centre staff. This was something Emma dreamed of for Jonty.  Of the team, Emma says: They are always so “welcoming and happy to see you” and they are an “extension of our family”.

The team continues to work in partnership with Emma and her whānau, to set goals for Jonty. Emma shared how quick he has been to achieve these and move onto the next milestone. In Emma’s view, it’s the team who enable and encourage Jonty and his family to “keep achieving” and continue to learn new things.

The Champion Centre’s Sign Language specialist, Liz has helped Emma and her family learn and continue to add to their sign language knowledge. Emma also mentions how the skills Jonty learns at The Centre can be adapted and applied to other areas of Jonty’s life.  For example, some of the fine motor skills our Early Intervention Teacher Lisa demonstrates to Jonty at the Centre, like learning how to use a pair of scissors, now enables him to get crafty at home by cutting up old birthday cards.  In addition, the skills he uses during ballet class are transferred from methods Rachel, our Occupational Therapist has taught him, like balance and waiting his turn. All of this supports Jonty’s growing confidence. While Jonty enjoys all aspects of the programmes on offer, he particularly adores music with one of our Musical Play Therapists, Victoria.

Emma’s whānau, particularly his grandparents, have been really supportive of their journey.  For Jonty’s dad Sam, The Champion Centre is one of his favourite places to come, and Jonty’s older brother Xander loves his little brother dearly.

Emma hopes that by sharing her story with others, they can understand what a difference The Champion Centre is making to her family and the community around them.

Jonty turned 4 a couple of weeks ago and Emma tells us how he has become an incredibly capable little boy. As we are talking, Jonty has decided it is time to head home and he makes a run for the hallway. Emma says: “that giggle is what I live for”.

Thanks, Emma, for taking time to share Jonty and some of your journey with us ❤

PAPER ON PREMATURITY LAUNCHED

Recently the Champion Foundation Trust, in partnership with The Champion Centre, launched a "Position Paper on Prematurity in Aotearoa New Zealand" at Parliament and here in Christchurch. This important paper summarises the up-to-date research evidence that guides best practice for babies and children born prematurely. It also draws on the work of the Champion Centre’s monitoring, assessment and intervention programme for children born premature and their families which provides support for baby/parent dyads as soon as possible after they leave the Neonatal Unit at hospital and continues until school entry for children born either less than 32 weeks gestational age or for those with other risks.

The launch event at Riccarton House in Christchurch was attended by many local clinicians and supporters. Dr Patricia Champion, founder of the Champion Centre and Co-Author, spoke eloquently about the research and implications for practice. We were also honoured to hear from past parents Rachel and Jason who shared their journey with their daughter Jessica (now age 13), who was born prematurely and attended The Champion Centre. They spoke of how early intervention at the beginning of Jessica’s life made all the difference and she is now thriving and achieving great things. You can read more about the Prematurity Paper here:  https://www.championfoundation.co.nz/research.html

​Thank you for taking the time to read our Newsletter and we're looking forward to updating you again in Term 4!