A father's mission to support families after neonatal loss has reached northern Australia as he works to place keepsake kits in neonatal intensive care units nationwide.
Nick Olney founded No Harry to Hold after his son Harry died less than two days after birth in 2020. The initiative provides kits that help families preserve hand and foot imprints, giving them a physical keepsake of their baby.
ABC North Queensland reported that Mr Olney carried Harry's footprint imprint to the tip of Cape York while delivering kits, including to Townsville. His goal is to reach all 23 neonatal intensive care units in Australia.
National clinical guidance recognises keepsakes such as handprints and footprints as one form of support following stillbirth or neonatal death. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data show perinatal loss continues to affect thousands of families, while specialist bereavement roles remain limited in some regional areas.
Sources: ABC North Queensland report; AIHW stillbirth and neonatal-death data.
Image disclosure: The featured image is an AI-generated symbolic editorial illustration. The hands, keepsake and journey shown do not depict the reported family or an actual delivery.
