The Kelly June Norman Auction of Awesome Things

Just over one year ago, Cory and his wife Emily were looking forward to welcoming their first baby into the world.

Theirs was a pretty typical romance, a white wedding and a plan for a family.

It didn’t work out that way though. Because the Norman’s baby girl, Kelly, arrived 16 weeks early.

Her early arrival meant Kelly was immediately admitted to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Waikato Hospital.

“She was so small,” says Cory. “She would have fit into the palm of my hand if I’d been able to hold her.”

Kelly defied all expectations and thrived for two weeks, surprising her nurses and doctors. However, Kelly’s tiny body succumbed to an infection and her weak immune system wasn’t able to maintain the fight necessary to sustain her life. Just three weeks after her early birth, Kelly passed away.

“The first time we were able to hold Kelly was the moment we had to say goodbye,” said Cory.

“We were, and still are, devastated by our loss. It’s only been a year but it still feels like yesterday.”

To many people, such a loss is a burden carried privately. And while Cory and Emily have grieved in a way that no parent ever should, they’ve also channeled that grief and energy into keeping Kelly’s memory alive.

“We are so incredibly thankful to the staff at the Waikato Newborn Intensive Care Unit who helped us through this incredibly difficult time and gave so much love to our wee girl during the short time we had her.”

“We wanted to do something that would keep Kelly’s memory alive and also give something back to the patients and staff at NICU.”

Cory and Emily are a driving force behind a black tie dinner and charity auction, called the Kelly June Norman Auction of Awesome Things.

Their goal is to raise enough money to buy a A GE Panda, a radiant warmer bed for babies needing respiratory support or surgical care. A Panda unit cost $25,000.

"We just want to give something back to the team and children at NICU in Kelly's name. We wont ever forget Kelly."