As the Executive Director of the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation (CPBF), Fabiana Bacchini leads the organization in its mission to support and raise awareness about the challenges faced by premature infants and their families.

Fabiana’s journey began while she was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with her surviving twin, who was born extremely preterm. It was during this time that she became involved in the study of Family-Integrated Care (FICare), a model that emphasizes involving parents in the care of their premature infants. Inspired by her experience, Fabiana dedicated herself to volunteering in the NICU at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and became an ambassador for FICare, spreading awareness about this model across Canada and internationally.

Fabiana serves as an advisor on various committees and advisory boards. She is a member of the International Steering Committee for FICare, demonstrating her expertise in shaping this care model on a global scale. She is also involved with the Child-Bright Network—an initiative focused on improving outcomes for children with brain-based developmental disabilities—and the PREMSTEM project, which focuses on stem cell research for premature infants. She collaborates with researchers both nationally and internationally.

She has been recognized with multiple awards for her advocacy and leadership in family engagement.

Oleksandra Balyasna is a dedicated patient advocate and the co-founder of the Early Birds Ukrainian Preemie Parent Association, established in 2016. Oleksandra is a mother of a child born preterm in 2012. During her stay in the NICU, she faced a lack of information, support, and basic supplies for preterm babies, which inspired her to launch a social enterprise producing “nests” and tiny clothes for infants. This venture helped her understand the needs in maternity and newborn care and inspired her to bring together parents, healthcare professionals, government, and the pharmaceutical industry to dialogue on finding the best solutions for preterm babies and their families.

In response to the full-scale war in Ukraine, Oleksandra has been actively involved in humanitarian projects, focusing on patient rights within obstetric and neonatal services. Since 2025, she has also been engaged with an NGO that promotes inclusion across the Netherlands and Eastern Europe.

Oleksandra has been an active member of GFCNI since 2016 and has served as a member of the Parent Advisory Board since 2019.

Selina Bentoom is the Founder and Executive Director of the African Foundation for Premature Babies and Neonatal Care (AFPNC) and a mother with personal experience of prematurity, whose child survived in Africa. Selina is an International Development Consultant specializing in innovative and sustainable health system programs focused on maternal and newborn health.

She is a seasoned conference speaker and human resource professional with over 10 years of experience working on local and international human capital development projects. In Africa, she serves on advisory boards and has pioneered several intervention initiatives, policies, and research projects. In August 2016, the Ghana Health Service appointed her to the Advocacy & Communication Sub-Committee for National Newborn and Child Health. She was featured in and contributed to the 2018 joint report by the World Health Organization and UNICEF titled “Survive & Thrive: Transforming Care for Every Small and Sick Baby.”

Selina is the first African to be elected to the Parents Advisory Board of GFCNI for two consecutive terms. In January 2019, GFCNI awarded AFPNC a prestigious award for its outstanding work.

Ilein Bolaños González, a certified corporate lawyer, became a mother of premature twins at 32 weeks of pregnancy in 2007. After this experience, she became a passionate advocate and voice for premature and sick babies, with the goal of giving every child the best start in life. She founded the first support group in a hospital with the largest private NICU in Mexico as well as the first virtual community in Spanish on Facebook for parents of preemie babies and multiples in 2010.

In 2011, she became Co-Founder and General Director of CON AMOR VENCERAS, A.C., a parent organization for premature and ill babies based in Mexico with influence across the Americas. In 2016, she received the GFCNI “We Care” Award for her outstanding work with her organization in Mexico.

Ilein has participated in various national projects such as “Genomics of Premature Birth,” “RSV Infection in Mexico: Reflections on Immunological Equity,” “The Manual for Parents of Premature Babies,” and “Prematurity: Challenges, Prevention, and Management,” among others. Internationally, she was featured in and contributed to the 2018 joint report by the World Health Organization and UNICEF titled “Survive & Thrive: Transforming Care for Every Small and Sick Baby,” and in 2020, to the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) Set of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures for Preterm and Hospitalized Newborn Health.

Following her work in healthcare and as a patient advocate, she further specialized in Management of Corporate Health and Wellness (2022) and earned a Master’s Degree in Direction and Management of Healthcare Institutions (2023).

Estela Coutinho is a board member and co-founder of the Portuguese preemies association XXS, established in 2008. She is a mother of two: an extremely premature boy born at 26 weeks and a preterm girl born at 34 weeks.

Estela holds an MSc in Business Administration and is certified in digital strategy and project management. With a proven track record in improving patient well-being, she is an advocate for maternal and newborn health. Passionate about engaging and mobilizing resources to address the global challenge of preterm birth, she has extensive experience in establishing successful partnerships and alliances with key stakeholders.

She also collaborates as a patient on several international R&D studies. Estela serves as a Patient Expert for the EMA (European Medicines Agency), works as an independent advisor for medtech companies, and volunteers for WHO, UNICEF, and the EPFL EssentialTech Centre. She received the first award ever granted by GFCNI for “Best Idea of the Year” and garnered support from the globally recognized Cristiano Ronaldo on a European Call to Action for Newborn Health.

Paula Guerra is one of the founders of the Portuguese preemies association “XXS – Associação Portuguesa de Apoio ao Bebé Prematuro” and has served as an executive board member since its inception in November 2008, becoming president in 2023. She is a mother of two: one daughter born at term in 1993 and a second daughter, an extremely preterm baby born in 2001 at 26 weeks weighing 615 g.

Since 1993, Paula has worked in IT development departments for three different Portuguese banks, leading project and IT teams. In 2010, she embraced a new challenge as Head of Talent Management in an IT department and in 2023, she became Head of Talent at one of the largest banks in Portugal. She is also a Certified Coach ACTP by ICF. Paula has been a member of the Parent Advisory Board of EFCNI since 2012, a member of the GLANCE Chair Committee from 2019 to 2024, and is currently a member of the Parent and Patient Advisory Board of GFCNI as well as a member of the ESCNH Parent, Patient, and Public Advisory Board (PPPAB).

Certified as a trainer, she delivers training in power skills—including leadership, effective communication, empathy, active listening, feedback, conflict management, adaptability, and Nonviolent Communication (NVC)—and is also invited to teach postgraduate nursing in neonatology and patient communication. Additionally, she serves on the board of the implementation group for the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health in Portugal.

Born in Mozambique, Paula has worked with parents of preterm babies in Portugal from various PALOP countries (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor).

Juliëtte Kamphuis obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry/Biotechnology from Saxion University of Applied Sciences in 2003. She has worked in clinical research primarily as a clinical research coordinator and is currently employed as a junior subsidy advisor for the municipality of Hengelo, the Netherlands.

Born preterm in 1980 at 28.5 weeks of gestation, she lives with both the short- and long-term consequences of prematurity, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. This personal experience has motivated her to raise awareness about respiratory diseases and preterm birth alongside her daily work. Since 2009, she has supported the patient’s voice in several research projects and healthcare-related initiatives, including patient participation policies, while collaborating with national, European, and worldwide organizations.

Juliëtte served on the patient advisory board for the 5-year European clinical research study U-BIOPRED (Unbiased BIOmarkers in PREDiction of respiratory disease outcomes). For four years, she has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Lung Foundation Netherlands. She was also involved in the European Respiratory Society Task Force on "Guidelines on Long-Term Management of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia."

Additionally, she is a member of the Parent/Patient Advisory Council for the Division of Neonatology & Obstetrics at Sophia Children’s Hospital and serves as a Guest Lecturer for NIDCAP/FINE at the Sophia NIDCAP Training Center, both part of the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Combining her personal experience, educational background, and professional expertise, Juliëtte has chosen this path with passion, pleasure, and a deep commitment to improving neonatal care.

Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez is the mother of four angel babies and a surviving twin born at 24 weeks. She is both an ICF-accredited Professional Coach and a Trauma-Informed Certified Coach, and the founder of GKF Coaching and Consulting. Her niche areas are leadership and organizational wellness, NICU leadership/community, diversity, empowerment, and well-being. She is passionate about embedding joy and clarity within leaders across all sectors and throughout workplace cultures. Gigi’s clients range from individuals and professional teams to medium- and large-sized organizations across the healthcare, education, faith-based, government, industry, and corporate sectors. She also partners with several consultancy groups to help them deliver on a range of leadership, diversity, and organizational development initiatives, and is a vocal advocate for equity in healthcare and education.

Gigi holds a BSc in Occupational Therapy (USA), MSc in Health, Population and Society (UK), and a Diploma in Personal Performance Coaching (UK/USA). She has nearly 20 years of international clinical, strategic, and project management experience within the healthcare sector in both the USA and UK health systems, and holds global board appointments in the maternal–infant health sector. Gigi currently serves on the Board of Directors for the NICU Parent Network (NPN), as a Parent, Patient, and Public Advisory Board (PPPAB) member for GFCNI and as a committee member for the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health (ESCNH). She is an experienced international speaker and presenter.

A native of the USA, Gigi currently resides in London, England.

Doris Mollel is a Tanzanian humanitarian and social entrepreneur known for her exceptional dedication to improving healthcare for premature babies. Born prematurely herself, weighing just 900 g, Doris’s personal journey fuels her passion for advocating for the well-being of premature infants. She is the founder and executive director of the Doris Mollel Foundation, established in 2015, and has made a significant impact in Tanzania.

Doris holds an MSc in Human Resource Management and a Postgraduate Diploma in Foreign Relations Management. Under her leadership, the foundation has donated medical equipment to 65 hospitals, saving over 15,000 premature babies' lives. Her achievements in incorporating prematurity knowledge into Tanzania’s education syllabus and advocating for paid parental leave demonstrate her determination and influence in policy change.

Doris’s work has earned her prestigious awards, including Tanzanian Humanitarian of the Year, induction into Tanzania’s Leadership Hall of Fame, and recognition as a Sustainable Development Goals Women in Management Award Winner. She is a member of the Technical Working Group of Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, the WHO: Born Too Soon Advisory Group, and serves on the boards of Save the Children Tanzania and Hope 4 Young Girls Tanzania.

A native of Tanzania, Doris currently resides in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Nina Nikolova is a co-founder and chairwoman of the first Bulgarian foundation for premature babies. The foundation works closely with parents, medical care professionals, stakeholders, and other NGOs. The foundation also seeks to raise awareness that preterm births are a serious problem and to educate the public to reduce the rate of preterm birth and give a better start for all babies born too soon. Nina is a mother of twins born preterm.

Nina has a bachelor’s degree in French Linguistics, and she graduated as a translator and a primary teacher. Over the last 18 years, Nina has worked in real estate as a sales representative, Sales and Marketing Manager, and for the past few years as a Key Account Manager at one of the largest investment companies—part of the largest real estate holding in Bulgaria. She works in a dynamic field with a diverse range of clients and companies.

Nina Nikolova has been a member of the Parent Advisory Board of GFCNI since 2019.

After 22 years of professional experience in major local and international companies as a mid-level manager, Ilknur Okay dedicated her career to working for the good of humanity. She obtained a CTI Professional Coach Certificate from the USA and became an ACPI-certified Parent & Family Coach. Ilknur earned an MSc in Psychology along with a certificate in Interpersonal Therapy. She is also a trained conflict management coach.

She is the co-author of two published books: the first, "Life with Multiples: From A to Z," is for families of multiples, and the second, "From Incubator to World," is for families of premature babies.

Coming from a diverse cultural background and drawing on her extensive experience working with people from different cultures and backgrounds, she has a strong understanding of the needs of those who are less privileged and face pressing challenges. Since 2008, she has proudly advocated for premature babies and their parents in Turkey through campaigning, petitioning, presentations at medical congresses, developing psychoeducation models, training parents, and much more.

Kylie Pussell co-founded Miracle Babies Foundation in 2005 and has served as a Board Director since 2009.
After suffering a miscarriage and losing twin babies at 16 weeks, Kylie gave birth to her daughter Madeline at 30 weeks and was diagnosed with cervical incompetence. Madeline was cared for in Liverpool Hospital’s NICU for six weeks. Two years later, following another miscarriage, Kylie delivered twins at just 25 weeks. Both were resuscitated at birth and cared for in the NICU. Sadly, Kylie’s son Marcus passed away due to complications from extreme prematurity. Her daughter Scarlet required ventilation and surgery, and was cared for in the NICU at Liverpool and Westmead Children’s Hospitals, ultimately being discharged just before her due date - four months later. Kylie’s son Liam was born at 38 weeks via planned C-section following a transabdominal cerclage.

Kylie, a qualified counselor, has played an integral role in expanding the Foundation’s NurtureTime program, introducing Miracle Babies Foundation to hospitals nationwide, and developing national resources. She developed and implemented the Foundation’s successful volunteer program, designing National Volunteer Induction and Training in collaboration with TAFE NSW. Kylie was selected in the inaugural Growth Project in 2015.

Kylie delivers presentations and leads forums on the Foundation both nationally and internationally, sharing her personal journey with her children and providing parent support to drive positive change for premature and sick babies. She highlights the needs of parents and families during NICU stays and in the years that follow. Kylie leads support for bereaved families and assists families and educational institutions in addressing the learning, social, and emotional challenges that many of these miracle babies face in early childhood, school-age years, and adulthood. She has been an instrumental leader in launching many new services at the Foundation, most recently Nurture ‘E’ – The EEE Impact. This information hub is designed to assist families through various life stages - from infancy and toddlerhood to primary and high school and into adulthood - by providing Evidence, Education, and Empowerment. The hub is available in over 140 languages.

She serves as CEO of the Foundation and is passionate about driving the expansion of services and resources across Australia so that all families are supported, educated, and empowered. Kylie served as Secretary of the Board from 2009 to 2017 and was appointed CEO by the Board in 2017.

In July 2019, Kylie became a founding committee member of GLANCE, and in December 2019 she was appointed to the Chair Committee of GLANCE. GLANCE was a global project delivered by GFCNI from 2019 to 2025.

During 2019 and 2020, Kylie was a member of the Working Group on the ICHOM Preterm and Hospitalized Neonates Standard Set, and in September 2020 she was named Western Sydney Women – 2020 Community Woman of the Year. She was also awarded “Highly Commended” in the Western Sydney University Women of the West Awards for Community in 2020.

In July 2021, Kylie joined the World Prematurity Day Parent Advisory Board and the World Prematurity Day Global Planning Group. In September 2021, she joined the NSW Health Agency for Clinical Innovation as a consumer representative on the Pediatric and Neonatal Clinical Care Taskforce and the ACI Maternity and Neonatal Executive Committee. Kylie serves as a parent representative on numerous research projects, is a former member of the PSANZ Perinatal Palliative Care Special Interest Group, and is currently a member of the PSANZ Perinatal Ethics Special Interest Group and co-chair of the PSANZ Newborn Resuscitation and Stabilization Special Interest Group.

In April 2022, Kylie was named a Finalist in the NSW Women of the Year Award – Woman of Excellence. In May 2022, she presented the Nurture ‘E’ – The EEE Impact information hub at the global GFCNI Parent Summit in Germany. In 2022, she was invited to join the Advisory Board of the parent organization Prematuridade in Brazil. In 2022, Kylie co-authored the article “Impact of Current Australian Paid Parental Leave on Families of Preterm and Sick Infants,” published in the Journal of Paediatric and Child Health. She also contributed to the book Neonatal Nursing: A Global Perspective.

Kylie serves as a consumer representative on the National Preterm Birth Prevention Collaboration, and in 2023 she was elected to the GFCNI Parent and Patient Advisory Board. She has presented at numerous conferences, both nationally and internationally.

Kylie was awarded the 2024 HESTA Excellence Award – Community Services, Individual Leadership.

In September 2024, Kylie joined the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre (CTC) Consumer Engagement Advisory Panel.

Asta Radzevičienė is a mother of a prematurely born girl. She is the founder of the first Lithuanian premature baby association, “Neišnešiotukas,” established in 2012, and joined GFCNI the same year. This organization is devoted to giving preterm babies the best possible chance for survival and helping them reach their full potential.

She implements innovative projects with families, hospitals, and institutions, involving medical societies and NGOs. She is also a member of the NIDCAP Family Advisory Board and serves as an observer in maternity hospitals in Lithuania.

Asta holds a Master’s degree in Management and Business Administration. She has been a member of the Parent Advisory Board of GFCNI since 2019. In 2019, she initiated the national educational project “Growing Lithuania,” based on the Standards, to connect working communities and professionals and promote newborn health. This initiative plays a vital role in advocating for demographic issues in Lithuania and Europe, raising awareness about the importance of family support systems, and ensuring better care for newborns. Through “Growing Lithuania,” Asta works to engage policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the public in addressing challenges related to declining birth rates and family well-being.

Asta and her organization have received multiple recognitions and awards for their efforts, including the GFCNI Award (2016), the Mayor of Vilnius Award (2020), and the President of the Republic of Lithuania Award (2022 and 2023), honoring her dedication to improving maternal and neonatal healthcare, advocating for family support systems, and implementing innovative solutions in newborn care. She actively collaborates with Lithuania’s highest decision-makers, including government representatives and healthcare policymakers, to improve maternal and neonatal care standards.

Asta's goal is to connect people for better care of families now and in the future.

Dr. Eleni Vavouraki is a pulmonologist with a Ph.D. in pulmonary rehabilitation; she is also specialized in complementary and alternative medicine. She has extensive teaching experience as a professor at the Faculty of Health and Caring Professions of the Technological Educational Institute of Athens (currently known as the University of West Attica) for 23 years.

After becoming an aunt to extremely premature triplets, she co-founded the association Ilitominon together with the triplets’ parents, and has served as its President since 2011. In her dual role as an advocate for families with premature babies and as a healthcare professional, she continues to teach as a guest scientist of recognized prestige in postgraduate programs at the Medical Schools of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the University of Thessaly, mainly on topics related to neonatal healthcare linked to the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health (ESCNH). In 2024, she signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the University of Western Macedonia to integrate ESCNH into the undergraduate and postgraduate curricula of the Department of Midwifery. As an initial step in this cooperation, she authored a chapter on the role of the midwife in the follow-up care of preterm infants according to ESCNH, which was added to the department’s curriculum.

Eleni is also a member of the Therapeutic Riding Association of Greece, an NGO that helps children with disabilities (primarily due to prematurity) improve their physical and psychological well-being. Moreover, she has volunteered for many years as a coordinator and leader in European projects across several countries, working with multinational groups of young people at risk of social exclusion.

Dr. Eleni Vavouraki has been a member of the Parent Advisory Board of GFCNI since 2015.