Jersey soap star presents baby monitor to Jersey Hospital

Sunday 19 August 2018

A Jersey-born soap and West End actor today presented a new wireless fetal monitor to the Jersey General Hospital Maternity Unit.

Former Victoria College student Jonny Labey, who previously appeared in Eastenders and is now performing in West End show 'Strictly Ballroom', has worked with the Baby Bean Appeal in Jersey since 2016.

The joint charity initiative, created by Baby Lifeline, Philip's Footprints and Friends of SCBU, raised funds for five wireless monitors shortly after its launch.

Since then Mr Labey has been an ambassador for the work of Baby Lifeline, a UK charity who works closely with local charity Philip’s Footprints, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and have marked the occasion with a number of fund-raising events.

Money for the new monitor was raised through Mr Labey's efforts, who hosted a ‘Swingin in the Rain’ evening fundraising for Diabetes Jersey.

Half of the funds were raised during Philip's Footprints' gala ball marking the charity's 10th anniversary. A sell-out fundraising screening of 'You, Me and Him' at Cineworld attended by the film's stars, David Tennant and Sally Phillips, organised with Baby Lifeline in July helped raise the final monies to buy a seventh monitor.

Pictured: The 'You, Me and Him' screening at Cineworld helped raise money for a seventh monitor.

The monitor will allow greater freedom of movement for mums in labour on the island, especially in cases of high-risk pregnancies.

Julie Mycock, Head of Midwifery, commented: “The hospital is so appreciative of the efforts of Philip’s Footprints and Baby Lifeline and we are delighted to welcome Jonny Labey to the Maternity Unit to present the new monitor."

“Being able to use the wireless monitors makes a huge difference to many of the women who are about to give birth – they are very important and hugely valued pieces of equipment.”

Proud to present this new baby monitor to the Jersey Maternity unit on behalf of @babylifeline. This vital state of the art machine costs £16k and completely changes the flexibility of monitoring during last stages of pregnancy. Well done team! On to the next one! pic.twitter.com/OPBjkWCHkQ

— Jonny Labey (@jonnylabey) August 19, 2018

In a tweet following the gifting, Labey said he was "proud" to have taken part, adding: "This vital state of the art machine costs £16k and completely changes the flexibility of monitoring during last stages of pregnancy. Well done team! On to the next one!"

Pictured: From left, Jonny Labey, Jo Nash, Philip's Footprints; Akin Famoriyo, Clinical Lead for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jersey Maternity, Julie Mycock, Head of Midwifery, Jersey Maternity. (Philip's Footprints)