TinyLife started out in 1988 as NIMBA (Northern Ireland Mother & Baby Appeal), the only premature and vulnerable baby charity in Northern Ireland dedicated to reducing illness, disability and death in babies born here.
The charity was established by healthcare professionals and concerned parents in the Belfast area in response to the growing number of babies requiring special or intensive care at birth.
In 2000 the decision was taken to rename the organisation NI Mother and Baby Action, to better reflect the fact that NIMBA provided a range of practical support services for parents and their babies as well as raising funds for research.
Then in 2006 we thought it was time for a more significant change and TinyLife was born. Our name may have changed, but the task at hand remains the same – to reduce the number of premature and sick babies born in Northern Ireland and to support families who have experienced the birth of a premature, ill or disabled baby or babies.
Since our inception, we have established ourselves as a dynamic and highly effective organisation which has made – and continues to make – a valuable contribution to families across Northern Ireland by supporting medical research in the areas of still birth, miscarriage and premature birth and by identifying and addressing shortfalls in follow-up services for all those affected by premature birth.
We work closely with healthcare professionals, parents and local health authorities to keep up-to-date with the changing needs of families and to identify how best to address them.
As a regional charity, TinyLife relies heavily on the generosity of the general public and the business community in Northern Ireland to enable us to provide our services, and we are grateful to all our supporters and volunteers for their invaluable assistance.
The backing and expertise of our board and Patrons has helped TinyLife to go from strength to strength. We are delighted to have the support of Professor Jim Dornan as TinyLife’s President; retired businessman Dan Corr as our Chairman and Sarah Travers (BBC) and Paddy Wallace (Ulster/Ireland Rugby) as our Patrons.
