"I'm a professional baby cuddler!"

When Jenny Summerson’s own children grew up, she looked for something to fill the hole in her life. What she found were babies who needed a little extra TLC.

- GENEVIEVE GANNON

When I was pregnant in the '70s I couldn't justify asking family members to look after my children while I went to work, so my husband and I made the decision we would live on one wage so I could be involved with my children and their activities. All through kindergarten, primary school, high school, Guides and Scouts, I was on committees. I was happy, and I was busy. But when my daughter finished high school, my commitments halved and I found myself at a loose end.

I did not enjoy Mondays - the thought of the week ahead with not enough to do. Then in 1992 I saw an advertisement in the local paper: The Mater Hospital in Brisbane was looking for “100 helping hands”. I thought, “Oh, that should be interesting.” So I phoned and had an interview with the manager of the volunteer program.

I had no idea what I was signing up for. There were a few options for volunteers, including flower arranging. I put my hand up to work in the Special Care Nursery, which is where they establish babies' feeding so they can go home. My work as a “cuddle carer” was to be another pair of hands in the nursery and to cuddle babies who needed a little extra care. Suddenly I was busy on Mondays.