Group B Strep Support (GBSS)

During the festive period, the GBSS team will be taking a well-deserved break. This means our helpline and support services will be closed from Tuesday 24 December at 12.30pm until Wednesday 1 January, reopening Thursday 2 January at 9am. If you're concerned about your/your baby's health, get it checked out. Your hospital/maternity unit is available 24/7 (including Christmas & New Year) - what heroes! And for general information on group B Strep, please visit our website at: gbss.org.uk

"As Christmas approaches, we are finding it difficult to navigate our feelings and emotions. This should have been our first Christmas with our beautiful boy, but instead, he is now the cherished star we place on our tree." Jasmine, mum to Rhodi. Will you donate and help us continue our life-saving work to protect babies from group B Strep infection, preventing tragedies like Rhodi's and ensuring that no family has to endure this heartache? This Christmas, your donation can transform heartbreak into hope for families like Rhodi’s, who are facing their first Christmas without their cherished son and baby brother, Dollie. Rhodi’s life was tragically cut short due to a group B Strep infection, leaving his family struggling with profound loss and grief. As we count down the days until Santa visits, Jasmine and the rest of Rhodi's family are asking if you will join them in turning pain into action. This winter, many families will face the heart-breaking moment of hearing "group B Strep" for the first time, as their precious newborns fight for their lives. Your donation can be the beacon of hope they desperately need. By supporting us, you help advocate for the introduction of effective and accurate antenatal testing, a vital step in preventing more cases of group B Strep infection in babies. Together, we can save babies' lives. Donate now https://lnkd.in/eKj-u9p8

"After my firstborn recovered from an unexpected group B Strep infection, your invaluable support helped my family prepare for my second child’s safe arrival and helped me advocate for a brilliant birth experience for us both." Did we address any of your concerns about group B Strep? Maybe our website was a valuable resource for you during your pregnancy, or we provided support after your baby was affected by group B Strep? We're here to provide information and answer your questions on group B Strep, just like we did for this family, as well as much-needed support. ☎️ Call us on: 0330 120 0796 ✉️ Email us at: info@gbss.org.uk

This is Jenson! He turned one on December 3rd, 2024. 🎉 For his birthday, his parents held a party and managed to raise an impressive £233.30. They were thrilled with the outcome, and Jenson had an absolutely fabulous day! 🥳 His mum, Kate, shares her story with us "Jenson was born on 03/12/2023, perfect in every way. However, just 6 hours after birth, he became agitated, refused his feeds, and started making a grunting noise. The midwife initially thought he had swallowed some fluid during birth and recommended 7 days of antibiotics for his chest in the NICU. Within 24 hours, Jenson's condition worsened, and he was placed in an induced coma and intubated to help his little body fight the infection. He was transferred to another hospital and remained in intensive care for 3 weeks. Our little fighter was eventually discharged on Christmas Eve – our little Christmas miracle! 🎄 We are forever grateful to the hospital where he was born, the hospital he was transferred to, and everyone at GBSS for quite literally saving his life. I gained a lot of knowledge about Strep B in those first few weeks. I will continue to educate expectant parents and fundraise wherever possible to raise awareness about Strep B. Before Jenson, I had never heard of it!" Thanks to Kate and all the family for their continued support.

"We couldn’t believe a simple test could have prevented so much trauma and heartache for us as a family." Thank you for sharing, Birju. For more information on group B Strep, how to test and what it can mean for your newborn, please visit https://ow.ly/tTaT50Qhl3R #groupBStrep

Last chance to order to get in time for Christmas is noon on Monday 16 December. Theo Bear is a perfect stocking filler that not only brings joy but also helps raise awareness that can save babies' lives. You can purchase Theo Bear from our online shop: https://lnkd.in/eX-xAXVr. Our Chief Executive, Jane Plumb, and her husband Robert co-founded Group B Strep Support in 1996 after the tragic loss of their middle child, Theo, to a group B Strep infection. Theo Bear was named in memory of their son.

Did you know our Group B Streptococcus in Pregnancy & Newborn Babies leaflet, cowritten with the RCOG, is available digitally in 15 languages? Find your chosen language & download important information on group B Strep and pregnancy today https://ow.ly/GO3950QieWo #GroupBStrep #Pregnancy

All pregnant women should be provided with an information leaflet on group B Strep. Download your free leaflet in English or 14 other languages from https://lnkd.in/eDTdViZj #GroupBStrep #FactFriday

Every December, around 60 babies will spend their first Christmas in hospital due to group B Strep infection, but your donation can help change that. Evie, spent her first Christmas in the neonatal unit, relying on oxygen and feeding tubes. Her mum, Nicola, had never heard of group B Strep until it was too late. Nicola told us “I should have been at home putting my little girl to bed for Santa to visit. Yet here I was in the hospital.” We need your help now. Your gift today can increase awareness so more parents know about group B Strep. With this knowledge, they can take steps to protect their precious babies. Act now. Your support means more families will celebrate their babies’ first Christmas at home, creating joyful memories together instead of visiting the NICU to watch their babies fight for their lives. Please donate today. Help us protect all babies from the devastating effects of group B Strep infection. Your generosity can make a world of difference.👇 https://ow.ly/o1e250UcxWX

On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we're sharing Hajrah and Haroon's story. Harjah was told that she needed to be induced due to fewer fetal movements, so was induced at 37 weeks and delivered Haroon at 37 weeks and 4 days. Haroon was jaundiced after being born, so was taken back at a couple days old, and treated under phototherapy. During this time, he showed signs of more serious infection, and was rushed to NICU. Harjah "stopped the main doctor in charge and I asked her is it because of the GBS I carried. She looked at me in shock and said, 'Thank you mum, now we know what medication to treat him with.'" Haroon had developed sepsis. He spent a month in hospital recovering. As Harjah says "It was a shock to me he was not monitored well after his birth or anything written on my notes about strep B. The doctors had no idea why his organs were about to fail until I spoke about it." Haroon has since recovered, and as Harjah says he has "been through a lot of health issues and can’t balance well and has delays in understanding and speech. He doesn’t know the dangers around him at all so he is in full-time care and watched by his father and myself. It has been hard but it’s affected his brain a lot." "Please don’t take group B Strep very lightly and keep an eye on your newborn for signs of GBS infection" #IDPD