This week we are marking Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Sharoe Green Maternity Unit’s 20th anniversary, celebrating two decades of providing care for women and their families at Royal Preston Hospital.
Throughout this week we will be chatting to colleagues and patients who have fond memories of the old unit, and the work it has taken to become the exceptional facility it is today.
Today we speak to Natalie Morgan, now a Junior Sister on the Neonatal Unit at Royal Preston Hospital, who has come full circle since the day she gave birth to her son, Haiden, under extraordinary circumstances on the weekend the new Sharoe Green Maternity Unit opened 20 years ago.
As the unit was transferred to a new £17 million build attached to Royal Preston Hospital, Haiden was one of the last babies born in theatre at the old Sharoe Green.
After Natalie had an emergency Caesarean section, with Haiden 14 weeks premature, he was rushed by ambulance down to the new SGU, before mum followed, as she recovered from the surgery.
Little did Natalie – a young, vulnerable mother from Jamaica - know that this life-altering experience would set her on a path to her true calling in neonatal care.
The compassionate care Natalie and Haiden received was the lightbulb moment which led her down her career path.
Natalie takes up the story: “Haiden was born at 26 weeks, and needed help with his breathing, so he was on a ventilator. When I woke up in the morning, I was told we were moving - I said, ‘what do you mean we’re moving?’
“He was put in an ambulance, and he came up before me. When I arrived, he was already settled. I was incapacitated. Aside from the section, I had pre-eclampsia – they couldn’t get my blood pressure under control for a long time.”
For Natalie, a young woman who had moved to the UK from Jamaica in 2000, the situation was overwhelming. "I was quite young and naïve; I’d never seen a baby that small before. I didn’t think he would survive – in Jamaica we didn’t have the technology," she admits. "His heart rate was dropping because of my high blood pressure, and he had to be born primarily to save my life.
Despite her fears, Haiden was born and quickly whisked away to the NICU. Natalie remembers the moment she first saw him: "I was taken to see him, they brought him to me, and he was the tiniest thing I’ve ever seen."
As Haiden slowly gained weight and Natalie recovered, she observed the compassionate and skilled care provided by the neonatal staff. It was then that Natalie experienced a pivotal realisation: “My initial experience was a lot of fear and uncertainty, but the care I received was absolutely amazing. I was in a vulnerable state, and I should have had the counselling I was offered before the birth – that’s one thing I regret not doing, that would prepared me. I only know that now as a neonatal intensive care nurse how important counselling is, what to expect.”
The experience was a turning point for Natalie. "A lightbulb came on in my head—I knew this was what I wanted to do," she says. “I was going to do nursing anyway, but now I wanted to be a NICU nurse. I look back and think Haiden was born to shine that light on my life, that’s why I had that experience.”
Natalie embarked on her journey, completing her nursing diploma at UCLan and later topping it up with a degree in Neonatal Practice. She initially worked on the paediatric ward but remained steadfast in her ambition to join the Neonatal Unit. "I made my intentions clear, and I was fortunate to get the opportunity," she explains.
Natalie admits that working in such a specialised area was challenging. "I did wonder what I had gotten myself into, but I trained as a specialist, developed my confidence, and applied for a sister’s post. I even pursued my Master’s degree while working full-time, which was tough, especially during COVID. Now, I’m doing my PhD! My goal is to change the world—I want to improve the care of premature babies, and as a research nurse, I’m conducting studies that I hope will make a difference."
Balancing the demands of her work, studies, and personal experiences, Natalie finds her role incredibly fulfilling. "Having been on both sides—first as a mother of a vulnerable, sick baby, and now as part of the medical team—I have a unique perspective. I know what it feels like, and I can empathize deeply with the families I care for."
As Haiden and the new Sharoe Green Unit both celebrate their 20th birthdays, Natalie reflects on their journey with gratitude. "Haiden now towers over me," she says with a smile. "I think, ‘How fortunate are we?’ Haiden is relatively unscathed, and although technology has advanced so much since he was born, back then, many babies at his gestation didn’t survive or faced significant disabilities. I count my blessings every day."
Today, Haiden is a disciplined young man with a passion for mixed martial arts. Natalie marvels at his dedication: "He trains so hard and is so committed—I really admire that in him. I often remind him, ‘Do you know what you’ve been through?’ and he just smiles."
