Premature babies received life-saving care thanks to the CREDINS Foundation and UNICEF’s partnership

Elvira gently pressed her hand against the transparent wall of the incubator, watching her newborn daughter, Bora, sleep beneath a tangle of tubes and blinking lights. Born at just 28 weeks and weighing barely 1.2 kilograms, Bora had entered the world too early — fragile, silent, and struggling for every breath. 

“I was terrified,” Elvira recalls. “She was so small… I wasn’t sure she’d survive.”

But inside that humming machine — an incubator — Bora found the warmth and support she needed to live. For Elvira, it was more than a medical device. It was hope made touchable.

Thanks to the generosity of the CREDINS Foundation, a crowdfunding platform, Smile.al, was made available to give Bora and many other children like her a chance to be alive and grow. Through an inspiring campaign that mobilized individual giving, $100.000 was raised. With these funds, 10 life-saving incubators and three Bubble CPAP systems for respiratory support were delivered to the neonatal units of Tirana, Elbasan, Fier, and Durrës — maternity hospitals welcoming 10.000 newborns each year.

Bora was one of them. Every day for two months, Elvira sat beside the machine that kept her daughter alive. She whispered songs through the glass. She counted every gram gained. She watched tiny movements that once seemed impossible. Until one day, she heard a nurse say, “She’s ready.”

“I held her in my arms — really held her — for the first time since she was born. I cried,” Elvira says, her eyes shining. “I knew then she would make it.”

The story of Bora is not just a witness to medical care. It’s a story of community generosity, corporate compassion, and a mother’s unwavering love. It’s what happens when private sector champions like CREDINS Foundation step up to protect the rights and lives of newborns.

“The CREDINS Foundation’s dedication to inspiring action, giving generously, and mobilizing resources highlights the remarkable role the private sector can play in building a healthier future for Albania’s children,” said Murat Sahin, UNICEF Representative in Albania.  This collaboration is a wonderful example of what we can achieve when we come together, partner with the private sector, and celebrate Parenting Month alongside thousands of families across Albania.” 

Elvana Hana, Executive Director of the CREDINS Foundation, also emphasized the impact of collective action: 

Through strategic support, UNICEF is not only delivering medical equipment but also training health workers, developing treatment protocols, and partnering with governments to build sustainable systems of care. For Bora, the journey has just begun. For Elvira, the gratitude is endless. And for supporters like you, who clicked, shared, and donated, this is the difference you made. You gave a newborn her first breath.

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The name of the mother and child are changed to protect their identity.