At ACNN and COINN, we believe that every neonatal nurse should have the opportunity to attend and benefit from our global conference. To make this possible, we invite you to contribute towards helping a fellow nurse from a low-middle resourced country to attend. Your generous donation—no matter the amount—can make a difference by helping cover registration fees, travel, and accommodation for someone who otherwise may not be able to participate.
The ACNN LRC SIG has identified three neonatal nurses in our region who are championing the care of newborn infants in their home country. Meet the first two of 'our' three amazing neonatal nurses.
Aloma Roa. In 2013, I started my career as a general
nurse after completing my nursing degree in Pacific Adventist University in Papua New Guinea. I worked in a provincial Hospital in Vanuatu,
Northern Provincial Hospital, and is in the northern part of Vanuatu on the Island of Santo. My passion of caring for newborns
commenced in 2020 after resuming from my maternity leave and I worked in the Maternity ward but most times I took care of the sick newborns
because there was no special care nursery; therefore maternity staff would take care of these newborns. Also, another reason for developing
my passion to care for newborns is because my second born daughter, Rawai was an acardiac acephalic twin which means she was the normal
twin but unfortunately her sibling twin did not survive this rare condition.
By June of 2020, my colleagues and I voiced our concern to have a dedicated special care nursery and
finally, by the end of 2020 we managed to have a nursery department separated from the maternity ward. I then worked in the special care
nursery until this year (2025), when I came to Solomon Island to do one year course in child health and will go back to enhance and impart
the knowledge & skills at my place of work and support other nurses to pursue their ambitions to be specialised in the field of newborn
care and paediatrics. Here, I attended the education week provided by Lyn and the LRC SIG team. My oldest
daughter, Tiara, also joined in the week!
Thank you very much for this great opportunity to attend COINN 2026.
Sri Mahawati (Maha) Ddb, Nursing Unit Head of the Neonatal Nursery at the Prof. Dr. I.G.N.G. Ngoerah Hospital (previously known as the Sanglah Hospital), Denpasar, Indonesia. ACNN long-time member NNP Miriam Long has been visiting the hospital and collaborating with Maha and the team since 2018. Maha will be a part of the Low-Middle Resources Country plenary session at COINN 2026.
My name is Mrs. Hulita Siuhengalu, I’m 47yrs old and I
come from Tonga. I was trained locally in our School of Nursing and became a staff nurse in 2001. I currently work in our only hospital
(Vaiola Hospital) on the main Island (Tongatapu), in the Special Care Nursery. I initially worked in our Paediatric Ward for 1 year then
moved to our Special Care Nursery as a staff nurse. After working here for about 10 years, I completed my Advanced Diploma in Midwifery in
our Queen Salote School of Nursing and then came back to the Nursery. I have now been the Nurse Unit Manager for almost 13 years. So most
of my nursing career has been all in the Special Care Nursery and this is my very favourite place in our hospital. I very much look forward
to attending COINN and sharing knowledge of my country with you all.
Our fundraising continues. Every contribution counts and brings us closer to building a stronger, more
connected community of neonatal professionals.
Thank you to all who have generously supported to date!
