Bukhman Philanthropies pledges £561,000 to strengthen neonatal care for vulnerable babies
Bukhman Philanthropies pledges £561,000 to strengthen neonatal care for vulnerable babies
24 September 2026
On Tuesday 15 September, we were delighted to welcome Bukhman Philanthropies Co-Founder and Chair, Daria Bukhman to St Mary’s Hospital to celebrate our continued partnership and shared commitment to strengthening neonatal services. Through investment in state-of-the-art equipment, staff education and professional development, this partnership is helping to ensure our neonatal teams are equipped to meet the needs of babies born extremely preterm.
The investment will provide a range of specialist equipment across both hospitals, including a paediatric retinal imaging system that can help clinicians detect retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye disease that affects premature babies. With this equipment, early detection and treatment can help prevent lifelong visual impairment.
The funding will also provide three advanced neonatal ventilators, delivering highly precise respiratory support for critically ill babies. The ventilators can adapt to changes in lung function and support gentler ventilation, helping to reduce the risk of long-term
lung injury. New patient monitoring systems will continuously track vital signs, helping clinicians respond quickly when a baby’s condition changes.
Additionally, the Foundation’s support will strengthen the safe storage and management of breast milk. New specialist freezers and a digital milk management system will ensure every donation is stored safely and securely, while enabling it to be tracked from the moment it is donated through to the point it is fed to a baby.
Alongside this new equipment, Bukhman Philanthropies will support a dedicated education and development fund for neonatal staff. This will provide opportunities for nurses and medical staff to access specialist training, simulation-based learning, communication coaching and professional development, helping to build skills, confidence and resilience across the neonatal teams.
Daria Bukhman, Co-Founder and Chair of Bukhman Philanthropies, said:
"Meeting the neonatal team at St Mary's was a humbling reminder of what extraordinary care looks like. Every day, these nurses, doctors and specialists support babies at the very start of their lives, and families at their most frightening moments. We want to make sure they have the best possible equipment and the training to use it with confidence. Investing in the people behind the care matters just as much as the machines, and we're proud to continue our partnership with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust to give every baby the strongest possible start."
Dr Aniko Deierl, Consultant and Head of Neonatology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said:
“We are incredibly grateful to Bukhman Philanthropies for this generous and continued commitment to our neonatal services. This funding will make a real difference, giving our staff access to the specialist equipment, training and development they need to provide the highest quality care for babies and their families.”
A huge thank you to the Bukhman family and Bukhman Philanthropies for their incredible generosity and commitment to improving outcomes for premature and critically ill babies and their families.
For more information about Bukhman Philanthropies and its support for neonatal services, visit - www.bukhmanphilanthropies.org
Top image: (Left to right) Beena Mathew, Susan Quach, Daria Bukhman, Gail Scott-Spicer, Dr Aniko Deierl and Aida Burke at St Mary’s Hospital.
