A newborn surrounded by monitors and tubes, not hugs and cuddles. A hospital stay lasting weeks or months, not hours or days. Eyes filled with tears of sadness and worry, not tears of happiness and joy.

These are the times you need someone who knows what you’re going through to tell you it’s going be alright. Someone who can give you the kind of support and resources that will make all the difference.

Every year in Aotearoa New Zealand, around 4,800 babies are born prematurely, and more than 1,000 full-term babies also require specialist neonatal care. That’s about one in ten Kiwi babies spending time in a NICU or SCBU – a reality that can feel overwhelming until it becomes your own.

The Little Miracles Trust is here to walk alongside whānau on this journey. We provide understanding, support, and connection to make a difficult start a little easier – and to remind families that even in the hardest moments, they are never alone

Originally called The Neonatal Trust, we were established in 1986 by two Wellington families with extremely premature babies. We are a registered not-for-profit which now operates right across New Zealand.

The Trust works to provide and coordinate support to the whānau of premature and sick full-term babies, as they make their journeys through neonatal intensive care, the transition home, and onwards.