Variety Neonatal Rehabilitation Fund

Since 1993, Variety Club, The Children’s Charity of Houston has been a part of the Neonatal Rehabilitation Programs at Ben Taub General Hospital and Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital. The Neonatal Rehabilitation teams at both hospitals consist of OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS, PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, SPEECH THERAPISTS and CHILD LIFE SPECIALISTS, whose role is to help premature and sick infants develop as normally as possible. They strive to help each infant learn to eat, gain appropriate developmental milestones and learn to bond with parents and siblings, despite being born weighing as little as one and a half pounds or having to stay in the hospital for six months or more. Since the 1980’s survival rates of these infants and long-term outcomes have improved dramatically with this highly specialized care.

To help these tiny infants meet their goals, Variety has made donations to both Neonatal Rehabilitation teams to purchase such specialized feeding equipment as special nipples and bottles that help babies who weren't yet supposed to be born learn to suck and swallow safely. Rocking chairs have been donated to aid parents in feeding and interacting with their infants in a safe and comfortable manner.

Items such as:

Swings, mobiles, and tape players are used to calm and soothe the babies whose mothers can't always be with them.
Developmentally appropriate toys and bouncer and feeder seats are used with older, more alert babies to provide them with stimulation in their environment.
Special Sibling Play Areas were funded to allow the children of parents visiting their infants to have a safe and enjoyable place to play while they were waiting.
Positioning equipment to make infants feel like they are still “snuggled” in the womb, and environmental aids, which help keep the babies out of bright lights and dampen the noise they hear, do the same.
Special privacy curtains for mothers who are breastfeeding or practicing “Kangaroo Care” (placing the baby against the mother’s skin to help regulate temperature and vital signs).
Family education materials, in English and Spanish, help parents understand what is happening with their fragile infant and how they can safely interact with the babies.
In the unfortunate event of an infant death, the parents are provided with a picture, a memory book and a burial gown.

All of the above have been made possible thru the generous contributions and supporters of Variety Club Houston.

Through our Neonatal Rehabilitation Program and Fund, Variety Club has provided items for more than 3,200+ babies and their families.

Dr. David Hirsh of Harris County Hospital District said, “These babies came into the world struggling. Thanks to Variety Club of Houston we can ensure that they have a fighting chance.”