‘Sorry, sorry, sorry’: Mum’s five weeks with twins in overcrowded NICU
Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Kerri Lee-Lissington remembers saying “sorry” constantly during the five weeks her premature twins spent in Christchurch Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
“You don’t even know where to put your jacket, it was so cramped, so you end up saying, ‘oh, sorry, sorry, sorry.’ You feel like you’re in the way and can’t relax,” Lee-Lissington said.
She found herself apologising for taking up space with her jacket, handbag or even a bag left on the floor.
The family’s ordeal began during her 34-week scan, when doctors discovered Indie was very small and blood was not flowing to her properly.
An emergency caesarean saw Indie come out first, weighing just 1.8kg. Then Jett arrived, born still in his sac at 2.3kg, but not breathing. They whisked him away immediately while Kerri lay there wondering what was happening, catching only glimpses of husband Blake's worried face across the room.
The twins went straight to NICU, where they remained for five weeks. Too premature to suck and swallow, they were fed through nose tubes until they were strong enough to feed on their own.
The NICU was at capacity when Indie and Jett arrived in May 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdowns. It has not returned to ‘normal’ since.
Because of Covid restrictions, grandparents and extended family were unable to meet the twins.
In NICU the days blurred together in a haze of exhaustion and guilt. Lee-Lissington felt guilty for not being with the twins enough, for not being home with her other children, aged 5 and 8, and for not being at work enough (she and Blake managed Pak’nSave Hornby).
After a particularly exhausting day, Lee-Lissington returned to NICU the next morning to find a surprise waiting. A nurse had placed Indie and Jett together in the same cot, taken photos of them side by side, printed them, and written an encouraging note for her.
Years later, Lee-Lissington remains in touch with that nurse, who still asks after the twins.
It’s these small acts of kindness that she remembers most vividly from her twins’ time in NICU.
After five weeks, the day finally came when the parents could take their twins home. But the moment was bittersweet.
“I felt a lot of guilt,” Lee-Lissington said. “I was so relieved that my babies were OK and that they could come home, but I felt guilty for the mothers in NICU. Some of them had already lost a baby or didn’t know when or if they would be able to take theirs home.”
The twins are now 5 years old and thriving and Lee-Lissington is getting behind a campaign to fund improvements in Christchurch Hospital’s NICU.
The South Island’s population has grown at a rate of 1.4% a year, reaching 1.24 million in June 2024 - an increase of almost 300,000 people since the NICU opened in 2005.
It’s created more demand for specialist services and while the unit is funded for 44 beds, it cares for up to 60 babies at times. In 2025 alone, 59 mothers had to be transferred out of the region due to capacity issues.
The Government announced a $13.9 million investment to upgrade and expand the NICU and Māia Health Foundation is partnering with Health New Zealand on the major redevelopment.
The project will increase funded capacity to 54 neonatal cots, support modern infection control measures, improve staff workflow, and add dedicated spaces for reflection and bereavement.
Māia is fundraising for family-focused improvements, including upgraded family spaces, overnight facilities, privacy measures and additional equipment.
Donations can be made on the Māia Health website.