New parents, Oliver and Nicel Mann were excited to celebrate the birth of their first child. Baby Isabel was born at Mercy Hospital for Women in Heidelberg after a 16-hour-long labour.
Oliver, waiting patiently for those 16 long hours on a couch in the Birthing Suite was finally able to have his baby girl placed on his chest for skin-to-skin time when midwives and doctors noticed something strange about Isabel’s breathing.
“You paint this perfect picture of your baby being born and to finally meet them. You are so excited in that moment and then suddenly… you’re not in control anymore,” Oliver says.
Isabel was quickly rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where she received 24-hour care after being diagnosed with a severe infection in her lungs. Baby Isabel had to have antibiotics, intravenous fluids and oxygen to help her overcome her illness and recover.
“They were like my little fairy godmothers because they gave me guidance when I was there. I felt at ease leaving Isabel with the nurses when I had to go back to my hospital bed to have lunch or a rest,” Nicel says.
Nicel and Oliver credit the NICU team for giving them hope that their baby would be okay.
But, the impact of Isabel’s illness left the new parents traumatised. Processing what happened to Isabel immediately after her birth took Oliver and Nicel six months to feel comfortable to speak about.
To turn a negative experience into a positive one, Oliver decided to embark on a community fundraiser aptly named ‘Kicktober’. For the month of October, Oliver – who has been doing martial arts since he was 11-years-old, tested his limits (and his hips) to do up to 250 martial arts kicks per day. All to raise funds for the NICU.
“Martial arts is not just about self-defence, it teaches you self-discipline. And mental health awareness too. And that was my way of healing and getting through a difficult time, by doing Kicktober,” Oliver says.
Oliver smashed his fundraising goal, raising over $2,500.
Isabel has just celebrated her first birthday and she is a bubbly, happy baby, and Ollie’s plans for Kicktober in 2024 are to make it bigger and better. His martial arts academy wants to be in on the action too.
“To know that the funds are being raised with genuine care and on the back of a genuine experience, I think that that would be our legacy,” Oliver says.
To find out more about how you can fundraise for us, visit our new community fundraising platform or contact Cettina D’Abaco, Communications Advisor on cdabaco@mercy.com.au for more info.
Last reviewed April 8, 2024.