When Danielle Meddings-Hill's daughter, Isabella was born at just 30 weeks, her world was turned upside down. What should have been the start of an exciting new chapter became months in hospital with their very unwell baby.

Weighing barely 1.3kg, Isabella was diagnosed with multiple health complications, including an imperforated anus, a rare birth defect where the anus is either missing, blocked or malformed. Just 24 hours after she was born, Isabella underwent emergency surgery at Auckland Hospital to create a colostomy. Weeks later, a bowel perforation led to a second operation to create a second stoma.

Despite multiple procedures, intensive nutritional support and specialist care in NICU, Isabella was not gaining weight.

“It was incredibly tough watching her struggle,” said Meddings-Hill. “She wasn’t putting on weight and we were running out of options.”

That’s when the family was offered access to a groundbreaking New Zealand made device, called The Insides Neo, which was being trialled at Auckland Hospital.

Cure Kids, New Zealand’s largest non-government funder of child health research, helped fund the clinical feasibility study for the device, and through Cure Kids Ventures, has invested in commercialising the device to ensure more babies in Aotearoa can access it.

“This is a world first Kiwi innovation that’s changing outcomes for our most vulnerable babies,” says Cure Kids CEO, Frances Soutter. “The potential of this therapy demonstrates the real impact that can be achieved with the generous donations given by New Zealanders.”

Developed by Kiwi medtech company, The Insides Company, the device is the world’s first chyme reinfusion system designed specifically for neonates and paediatric patients with intestinal stomas and intestinal failure.

This life-threatening condition leaves patients unable to absorb the nutrients they need to grow, with mortality rates reaching up to 70%.

The Insides Neo reinfuses intestinal fluids (chyme) back into the baby’s gut, improving nutrient and fluid absorption, supporting microbiome development, and encouraging gut maturation. Clinical studies show babies using the device gain nearly three times more weight per week than those on standard care. It also reduces reliance on IV nutrition and significantly eases nursing workload.

For Isabella, the impact of this device was immediate. Within days, she started gaining weight and her strength returned. After 32 days using The Insides Neo, Isabella had gained enough weight for one of her stomas to be reversed. And, following 4 months in hospital, she was finally able to go home for the first time.

“This device changed everything for us,” says Danielle. “It gave Isabella the strength she needed, and I truly believe it saved her life.”

Now, 14 months old, Isabella is a thriving little girl, thanks to this lifechanging device.

Already in use across NICUs in Australia, UK, Italy, South Africa and America, the device is currently being trialled in four New Zealand centres - Auckland City Hospital, Waikato Hospital, Christchurch Hospital and Wellington Regional Hospital.