For Kahla Hodkinson and her husband Mitchell they never predicted that their first baby would be born prematurely at only 29 weeks. Their little boy Edison was born unexpectedly on Good Friday this year and weighed only 1260 grams. It was a scary time for the family who were not prepared for the early birth.
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On Saturday October 24 across Australia the Walk for Prem's event will be held to raise awareness for the 48,000 babies that are born prematurely in the country each year.
The event is run by the Life's Little Treasures Foundation and presented by Baby Bunting and hopes to raise funds and encourage support for families with premature babies.
The birth of Mrs Hodkinson's son Edison was something Mr and Mrs Hodkinson never imagined or thought could happen.
"Everything had gone quite smoothly with the pregnancy up until the day before he was born. I went into labour, as I know now, on the Thursday but didn't know I was having contractions or was in labour. I went to bed and in the morning I wasn't feeling right and had a rough night so we thought we should get it checked out by a doctor," Mrs Hodkinson said.
"We went in and I was six centimetres dilated and within 45 minutes i was pretty much fully dilated and was born via emergency C-section at 29 weeks and six days, so just under 30 weeks.
"It was very rushed and traumatic. It was so sudden and I didn't have time to prepare or really process what was happening."
Now in its 12th year the annual Walk for Prems event will be held physically in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
Due to lock down restrictions all other cities are holding virtual events and encourage participants to do other activities such as walk 5km every day or organise a group walk with family and friends during the month of October.
Money raised goes towards providing services and support for families affected by premature births.
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Nikita McGuire
Born and raised in Launceston, Nikita is passionate about the stories that matter to locals. When she is not at work you can find Nikita adventuring around Tasmania or spending time with family and friends. If you have story tips or events in the Arts and Events sector, please contact Nikita at nikita.mcguire@austcommunitymedia.com.au or on 0437 031 581
Born and raised in Launceston, Nikita is passionate about the stories that matter to locals. When she is not at work you can find Nikita adventuring around Tasmania or spending time with family and friends. If you have story tips or events in the Arts and Events sector, please contact Nikita at nikita.mcguire@austcommunitymedia.com.au or on 0437 031 581
