Sophie’s nurse training takes her to ward where she was born

Premature baby Sophie Proud returned as a student nurse to the hospital unit where she was born.

Sophie, now 20, was for a long time Britain’s youngest surviving premature baby when she was born at just 24 weeks.

Now the Teesside University nursing student has completed a student placement at that very same baby unit where she was born at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Sophie spent the first few weeks of her life in the hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit, making an amazing recovery after undergoing open-heart surgery, an operation on her eyes and overcoming blood poisoning.

Her links with the hospital continue as she works as an ambassador for the Tiny Lives charity which raises funds for vital equipment, specialist training, research and support for support for families at the neonatal unit.

Sophie, 20, from Seaham, who is about to start the final year of the BSc (Hons) Nursing at Teesside University, was overjoyed to be able to complete a degree placement at the RVI baby unit.

She said: 'It was really surreal going back to the unit to work as most of the staff who had cared for me as a baby were still there.

'The unit is so close to my heart and I have kept in touch with the hospital through fundraising and charity support for the unit.'

She added: 'I went to Africa three years ago with a charity and it brought home to me the level of healthcare we have in this country, compared to other parts of the world. It really made me appreciated what we have here, with so many healthcare specialists.

'Having decided I wanted to study nursing, I came to Teesside for an Open Day and everyone was so welcoming. It’s in a region too which has so many great hospitals within travelling distance where we are able to train.

'My sister Amy, who is a neo-natal nurse at James Cook University Hospital, studied nursing at Teesside and the lecturers are all former nurses.'

Sophie, who is interested in specialising in neonatology once she has completed her studies, added: 'The degree has completely prepared me for a career in nursing, with the training and placements providing lots of opportunity to put into practice what we are learning.'

---

• nursing
• undergraduate