Townsville NICU jumps at Kangaroo-A-Thon

A families experience with their premature baby is highlighting the life‑changing benefits of skin‑to‑skin contact as the Townsville University Hospital (TUH) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) wraps up its annual two‑week Kangaroo‑A‑Thon.

The Kangaroo‑A‑Thon, an initiative created by Miracle Babies Foundation, encourages parents to engage in kangaroo care (skin‑to‑skin cuddling) with their premature or unwell infants.

Family’s log as many hours as possible of kangaroo holding (including modified holding) over a two‑week period, with the results then sent away and the winning hospital crowned.

For Mackay locals Jacqui and Brendan Pownall those hours have become a huge part of their son Jude’s progress.

At her 20‑week scan, Mrs Pownall learned her cervix had shortened and she was already 2cm dilated, and a rescue cerclage was placed to try to prevent labour.

Unfortunately, labour progressed, and Jacqui was urgently flown from Mackay to Townsville, where Jude was born at 23 weeks on the 28th of February 2026 weighing just 633 grams.

Their first kangaroo cuddle came when Jude was just six days old and intubated.

Mrs Pownall said despite Jude being extremely fragile, three nurses worked together to safely place him onto her chest.

“The moment I was able to hold him my heart was bursting with love and the world stood still, and Jude was the only thing that mattered,” Mrs Pownall said.

“Our voice, our touch, our scent, they can be as important as the medical interventions.

“It truly was the most special thing, especially since we didn’t expect to be able to hold him for a long time due to all of the circumstances.”

TUH Special Care Nursery registered nurse Michelle Louise Ogden is part of the team leading the two‑week initiative and said stories like Jude’s showed exactly why the Kangaroo‑a‑thon meant so much.

“The Kangaroo‑a‑thon is a really lovely way to encourage parents to spend time with their babies and enjoy those beautiful, important cuddles,” Ms Ogden said.

“It helps settle their heart rate, their breathing, their temperature and it creates such a vital moment of connection.”

As a mum of now grown‑up premature twins, Ms Ogden said she understood how overwhelming the NICU environment could feel.

“Often parents can get caught up in all the wires and alarms in the neonatal unit, and a quiet moment of cuddling can remind them that they are the parents, and they absolutely can comfort their own baby,” she said.

“This year I also created ‘kangaroo cuddle passports’ to help parents feel empowered to record their cuddle hours and to give them something meaningful to take home when they’re discharged.”

TUH lactation consultant Nicole Summers said the Kangaroo‑A‑Thon was one of the most anticipated events in the neonatal unit.

“We encourage the initiative because it helps our babies’ wellbeing and promotes health and wellbeing for our parents,” Ms Summers said.

“Skin‑to‑skin supports infant wellbeing, boosts parental bonding, and from a lactation perspective, significantly increases milk supply.

Ms Summers said staff had decorated the unit for the event and had been enthusiastically counting cuddle hours.

“We are hoping to improve on our second‑place finish in 2022 and come out on top this year,” she said.