I read with interest your letter from Charlotte Young voicing her opinions as to how Calderdale Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) should spend its funds. She was basically saying that from her perspective the money for one specialised incubator would be better spent on increasing awareness of Kangaroo Care and breastfeeding.

Her website professes not to dictate to parents but to be an open forum on modern parenting techniques and an exchange of information, yet she chooses to offer her opinion that this piece of equipment is less valid than other mechanisms that could be put in place to 'save more lives'. This incubator is called a 'Giraffe' and is just one piece of equipment in a very important 'toolbox' for the neo-natal specialists.

Charlotte, had it been your own child that needed and used this equipment, you would have a different point of view.

I am the woman trying to raise £36000 for the local special care baby unit to buy this incubator.

My daughter Ellis spent 142 days in SCBU after being born at 24 weeks old and 1lb 5 oz. (Charlotte's child spent 13 days in SCBU).
Ellis was on the brink of life for several months. We were 'allowed' to perform Kargaroo Care at about 8 weeks with Ellis when she was 'well enough'. This is basically time with premature babies and their parents to have skin to skin time and bond - so the baby can recognise the smell of their mother and father and it does indeed calm down prem babies.

Ellis was still in intensive care when this happened for us; her eyes were still fused; she was still on a ventillator and had a central 'broviac' line inserted which was feeding her essential drugs and did blood transfusions. She was also feeding from a tube going down her nose and past her stomach.

She had about 8 'lines' coming in and out of her as well as her oxygen supply. Can you imagine the logistics of taking such an ill baby out of an incubator to do Kangaroo Care? No, I don't think you can Charlotte.

I also don't think you can imagine that you are being actively encouraged to produce breast milk for your premature baby using a breast pump. It's well documented that stress reduces the production of breast milk which is why so many mothers of prem babys "dry up".

I went through absolute misery and guilt trying to keep up milk production for my baby. I was brilliantly supported by the staff at Calderdale Royal SCBU. I managed to supply my daughter for the first four months of her life with breast milk. We tried 'proper' breast feeding when she was well enough - but because of her medical condition at the time had to discontinue and conceed to formula milk.

The doctors and nurses on the unit were and are dedicated to giving every child born the best possible chance they can have. How can you, Charlotte, decide that your opinion is worthy of print when you have no idea what these fantastic professionals deal with day to day? Every child and family goes on a different individual journey.

I beg you to step off your high horse and consider that for some babies (and it could be yours) that incubator is worth the £36,000 it costs because it helps them in intensive care in ways I can't describe, and may be the difference between life and death .

Even if it makes the difference for just one child - it's worth it. It's not about numbers. I'm trying to raise this money as a way of saying thank you to everyone at CRH for everything they did for Ellis and our family. Please don't criticise it – or think that your "passion" is more important.

Hard choices are made every day by good people.

Sara-Jo Cooper