How Derbyshire's NHS heroes care for the miracle of life in the hardest of times

Having a baby is a wonderful, but worrying time - espcially during a global pandemic

There are lovely pictures showing some of the beautiful babies born to local mums and dads during lockdown.

As well as the natural joy about the impending new arrival, pregnancy is always a worrying time – especially if it’s your first.

Carrying your baby during a global pandemic, with infection control wherever you go, must have been an incredible additional layer of anxiety on parents-to-be in recent months.

Even more so if your baby then becomes ill.

That’s especially true for Jordan and Kelly Tunnicliffe, of Hasland, who welcomed twins Harry and Poppy to the world on May 6.

After his birth, little Harry developed respiratory problems and was admitted to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Then, Kelly’s 14-year-old son Oliver was rushed to the Royal after suddenly becoming unwell with suspected meningitis.

Thankfully, all of the family is now at home recovering well – and they are full of praise for Chesterfield Royal Hospital’s ‘amazing’ staff.

Senior nurse Kelly, who herself has worked at the Royal for nearly 20 years, said: “We will be forever grateful as a family and it’s certainly a time we will never forget.

“Staff overwhelmed us with kindness and support when our families couldn’t be there. The birth centre staff were exceptional and bore the brunt of my many tears.”

The work of our NHS teams never fails to amaze me, especially as these incredible people do this day in and day out. For them, saving the lives of newborns and children alike is just another day at the office.

Both my children were born at the Royal and, whilst we didn’t go through anything like the anxiety that Jordan and Kelly did, I wholeheartedly agree with their praise for staff at the hospital.

Bringing another life into the world is both wonderful and worrying - but they eased our concerns and were so effortlessly caring.

Perhaps that is a true measure of a hero – making the extraordinary and miraculous feel like its just run of the mill.