The “Small Steps of Great Heroes” campaign will provide phototherapy masks for premature babies. This was announced by the “Our Premature Babies” foundation, the organizer of the campaign. The initiative began in October in Burgas, with a traveling art installation “Cradle of Hope” also presented in Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, Varna, and Sofia. During the campaign, 7200 BGN were collected, which will provide 1388 masks and will be donated to neonatology departments in the country.

The masks are an important consumable in the treatment of neonatal jaundice - a condition that requires the application of specialized light therapy. A large part of newborns have jaundice, but in premature babies it is observed in over 90% of cases and can be severe. The condition is characterized by an excess of bilirubin in the body, which is particularly dangerous for premature babies due to their immaturity and can even cause permanent and irreversible neurological damage. That is why quality eye protection during phototherapy is of critical importance - premature babies are more sensitive to strong light and more susceptible to complications.

In a number of neonatology departments, the lack of sufficient specialized masks necessitates the use of improvised means, which makes the current donation significant support for medical teams and for the quality care of newborns.

Anyone who wishes to support the cause can join the active donation campaigns published on the foundation's website.

The “Our Premature Babies” foundation was established in 2012 by three mothers of five premature babies. The mission is to support premature babies and their families, and the goal is to reduce premature births. In Bulgaria, about 10% of newborns are born prematurely each year.