When Amy was only 24 weeks pregnant, she received the news no parent ever expects to hear: she would need to deliver her baby early to save both their lives. 

Her daughter, Aria, was born weighing just 493 grams, smaller than a bag of sugar, so tiny she could be held in the palm of one hand. 

Aria entered the world fighting for every breath. Born with short gut syndrome, her intestines weren’t fully formed or connected, meaning she couldn’t absorb the nutrients she needed to survive. Her tiny body faced complications, including dilated bowels and a dangerously distended stomach. Yet, even at her most fragile, Aria showed extraordinary strength. 

At just six days old, Aria was transferred by the Newborn & paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS) to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead’s Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care. Transferring a baby so small required highly specialised care and equipment. For Amy and her husband Kalle, watching their daughter leave without them was heartbreaking. 

“The NETS team were just amazing. They told us Aria was in the best hands possible and rang us as soon as they got to Westmead to let us know everything was ok. We can’t thank them enough,” Amy recalls. 

That transfer, made possible thanks to supporters who fund vital NETS ambulances, gave Aria her first chance at survival, but Aria’s fight wasn’t over yet.  

At just eight days old, Aria had her first surgery to connect her bowels, becoming the smallest patient her surgeon had operated on in 20 years. Her parents could do nothing but wait and hope, while a team of experts worked delicately to save her life. 

What followed were 237 long days in hospital. But for Amy and Kalle, those days were measured not in hours, but in milestones: the first time Aria reached the length of a forearm, the moment she could finally fit into baby clothes, the day she weighed as much as a full-term newborn. Every milestone was a reminder that their daughter’s future was being built moment by moment, thanks to the care she received and the people who made that care possible. 

“The nurses at both the Grace Centre and the Clancy Ward provided absolutely phenomenal care. They really went above and beyond,” Amy said.

When Aria finally went home, it felt like a miracle. “It was a surreal moment when we finally left hospital. It was such a massive accomplishment, but it also felt like we were leaving behind our extended family at the hospital,” Kalle said. 

Today, three-year-old Aria is thriving. Outgoing and independent, she loves arts and crafts, animals, and even theatre shows. She’s proof of what’s possible when generosity fuels world-class paediatric care.

Behind every story like Aria’s is a network of doctors, nurses, social workers, researchers and generous people like you. By donating to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation, you’re not just giving money. You’re giving families hope. You’re funding the NETS ambulances, lifesaving surgeries, and specialised equipment that give the sickest kids the best fighting chance. 

Aria’s story could have ended before it even began. Instead, thanks to expert care and the kindness of others, she has a future full of possibility. 

Donate today to help change the future for kids like Aria.