Costco North Lakes, Ipswich and Coomera are set to again support Mater Little Miracles with their annual in-store fundraising campaign kicking off in September!
When baby James arrived 16 weeks early—weighing less than a loaf of bread— he had a long fight for life ahead of him.
At 22 weeks pregnant, Sarah began experiencing discomfort and sensed something was wrong. She was rushed to Mater Mothers’ Hospital with a condition that made it impossible to carry her baby to term. Her only option: strict bed rest, with the one goal of keeping James safe inside her womb for as long as possible.
Two weeks later, at just 24 weeks and 4 days gestation, James was born weighing only 691 grams. He wasn’t breathing. He needed immediate resuscitation.
James faced the many complications of extreme prematurity—collapsed lungs, infections, hernias. But his biggest challenge was simply breathing.
Thanks to the expert care at Mater Mothers’ Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU), and life-saving equipment like the SLE ventilator, James received round-the-clock support from a dedicated team of neonatal specialists. Associate Professor Luke Jardine, Deputy Director of Neonatology at Mater Mothers’ Hospital, gave Sarah and Andrew a glimmer of hope: James had a 70% chance of survival.
“Being born at 24 weeks gestation, if you aren’t in a neonatal intensive care unit, you can’t survive. It’s around-the-clock care—24/7. It’s very intensive, particularly for those first four to six weeks,” Assoc Prof Jardine explains.
After 124 days in Mater Mothers’ Neonatal Critical Care Unit, James finally strong enough to go home—testament to the specialist care provided at Mater Mothers’ Hospital and the strength of one tiny fighter.
“We went from worrying that we were going to lose him, to having a little family, Sarah reflects. “Being at the Mater Mothers’ Hospital was the best care he ever could have gotten.”
Your support makes stories like James’ possible.
Costco has been supporting Mater Little Miracles since 2015 and has raised more than $660,000 thanks to their generous staff and customers. These funds help provide critical equipment and care for babies like James—giving them the best possible start to life.
Purchase your token from 1 September 2025 from participating stores; North Lakes, Ipswich and Coomera.
