Meet the CEO of Life's Little Treasure
This month we had a chat to the Shusannah Morris, the CEO of Life’s Little Treasures Foundation…
Shusannah Morris
Shusannah Morris
Tell us a little about yourself and your role at Life’s Little Treasures
I came to Australia from Ireland in 1998 and was welcomed by so many beautiful Australian friends – I’m blessed to have so many I now call family. I’m married to David and we have one daughter Molly-Rose who is now 13 years old. We live in Melbourne with our fur baby Bailey, a chocolate Labrador. I’m one of the co-founders and current CEO of Life’s Little Treasures Foundation (LLTF). I have been with LLTF since 2005. LLTF is my everything, I have been told I need to relax and get a hobby but LLTF is my work and my hobby and I relax most when I know we are supporting families.
What does a typical day at work look like?
My day starts at the office between 7.30am and 8am with a compulsory cup of tea to get the day started! I then sit and read through any emails that have come in or are in need of reply. I have 4 part-time staff and am part-time myself, so each day will involve catching up with a staff member for the morning, going through what programs and projects LLTF is involved in and making sure we are on track with what we have planned. I’m a very hands-on CEO as we are such a small team and so I get involved in all aspects of the business. My most rewarding part though is speaking with a family member that has called our support line and being able to help them at that precise moment when they need it most.
Why did you decide to work with premature babies and their families?
Molly-Rose
My daughter Molly-Rose was born premature at 25 weeks – weighing just 880grams – 13 years ago. It was a desperately emotional and scary time for us and while in hospital for four months, we met three other families whose bubs were also in at the same time. Over the months we became great friends so when we left hospital we kept in touch, as weeks turned into months we all found that once out into the community there was no support or information at all for us to access and no one we could talk with.
I was blessed as these amazing women I had met at the hospital became my lifeline and we all leaned on each other for support to get us through the first couple of difficult years. One day while having one of our monthly morning teas we were all chatting about other families and what they must go through and how wrong it was that after such an experience there should be no one there to support you once you get home. We all loved our extended families very much but they weren’t able to truly understand what we had been through. It was our peer-support we needed, so it was around that table on that day we all decided to make a difference and Life’s Little Treasures was formed.
That was back in 2005 and last year we celebrated 10 years of supporting families of premature and sick babies. Of course I must acknowledge all the wonderful people who have supported us along the way to make it all possible, the hundreds of volunteers who have been there, some still here today and so very precious to us, the fundraisers, the donors, who have made it possible for LLTF to continue, the professionals who provided and still do provide Pro Bono services. We couldn’t have done this without them and the health professionals, hospitals, health services who gave us the chance, who listened to us, respected what we had to say and whom over the years have become wonderful supporters of LLTF and enable us to reach so many families each day.
What’s the most rewarding part of your role?
Supporting the families, being there for them in a time of need and being able to say ‘it’s okay, we do understand, we do get it and look, here is an entire community waiting to support you in any way we can’. Being able to provide the families with critical information at a time when it’s needed most and knowing that this information will lessen the angst they are feeling and most importantly provide them with knowledge. LLTF believes that providing information and education to parents and professionals is key to providing best outcomes for premature and sick babies and most importantly enables families to become their child’s advocate. Information is power and power gives you control, it’s the loss of power in the early days that effects parents so much.
I just love to hear how our programs and services have helped families, it makes my heart happy to know we can be there for a mother or father in such a time of emotional need. I would never want any family to go through what we did and it is our mission to ensure all families are supported.
How does Life’s Little Treasures support the families of premature babies/sick babies?
Our Vision at Life’s Little Treasures is:
To ensure that all families enduring the difficult and life-changing experience of having a premature or sick baby have easy access to critical information and community support to help make a difference to them and their child.
We provide extensive support for families and their babies through many programs and services such as:
Informative website and information sheets;
iPhone & Android apps which provide critical medical information for NICU and SCN;
Free hospital Resource Folder for families “A Guiding Hand to NICU & Special Care”;
Free hospital Tip Sheets – providing families with quick relevant information;
Free hospital Reading Program – “Books and Bubs”;
Free interactive Webinars designed to provide professionals & families access to the latest information & resources for a child’s development;
Newsletter which provides parents with updated and relevant information (2 editions a year);
“Treasure Time” community support & playgroups;
Hospital support for families;
24 hour support line 1300 MYPREMMIE;
Parent Support Network;
Online community through Facebook/Twitter;
Family social activities/events (incl annual National Charity Walk -“Walk for Prems”);
Financial and Material “Family Assistance Programs”, assisting families both in hospital and at home, throughout Australia; and
Access and encouragement for family involvement in relevant and current research.
What would be your main advice to the parents of premmies?
It’s never easy to sit and watch your child fight for life, you are probably still adjusting to the new world you find yourself in. It can be a very stressful and traumatic time for parents. You may be experiencing a range of emotions such as sadness, anger, loss, fear, guilt, isolation, loneliness, anxiety, grief, or feelings of being overwhelmed. I can tell you, these feelings are all completely normal – it is not wrong to feel these and you are not alone. This could be one of the greatest life challenges you may ever face but baby will get there. It may help to write about your experiences, talk with parents who have been through this journey before, try not to isolate yourself. As a lady once told me, if you only have yourself to ask questions of, you will only get advice from yourself. LLTF is here to support in any way we can, we understand the journey you are on.
Remember your baby has a lot of developing to do and a lot of hurdles to cross, take each day at a time, focus on the now, bond with your baby, celebrate milestones in the NICU/SCN, take lots of photos, and try to focus on the positives. Premature children are the most beautiful, determined children I know, they are born with that extra “something”, we see so may grow up to be healthy, happy, independent little people.
Read through the section on our website called Survival Guide to NICU and Special care, it’s full of information and tips. http://www.lifeslittletreasures.org.au/prematurity/support-for-families/survival-guide-to-nicu-and-care/