Baby Joy’s First Embrace

When Baby Joy entered the world weighing just 1.5 kilograms, she was far too small to keep herself warm. Born at 32 weeks in Cameroon to a mother who had not been able to access antenatal care, she arrived already fighting for her life.

By the time she reached the health facility, her body temperature had dropped dangerously low. She was too fragile for skin-to-skin care, so providers placed her in a traditional incubator to stabilize her. While the incubator helped regulate her temperature, it came at a painful cost: separation.

Her mother could not hold her. She could not cradle her, breastfeed her, or comfort her in those first critical moments. For many parents of premature babies, this separation is one of the most heartbreaking parts of the experience.

Everything changed when Baby Joy was transferred into an Embrace incubator.

Baby Joy with her mom and nurse

Inside the Embrace warmer, Baby Joy stayed safely warm and for the first time, her mother was able to keep her close. She could hold her daughter, carry her, and breastfeed her, all while the incubator maintained a stable body temperature. Warmth and connection no longer had to be a tradeoff.

This simple shift transformed the quality of care. It restored what every mother longs for in the earliest moments of her child’s life: the chance to bond, nurture, and hope.

Stories like Baby Joy’s are heartbreakingly common. But together, we are changing that.

Your support enables Embrace Global, alongside partners like the For Mom & Baby Foundation, to place life-saving incubators directly into the hands of nurses and midwives who need them most. It keeps mothers and babies together. And it gives newborns like Baby Joy a real chance at life.

Help keep more babies safe. Give the gift of warmth today.