The Chicco Dá Vida project is commemorating its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of commitment to supporting neonatal care units throughout Portugal. Launched in 2006, the initiative was established to organize the brand's corporate social responsibility efforts more structurally, moving beyond general donations to create a measurable impact on the health system. The program focuses specifically on equipping neonatal intensive care units, recognizing that for many families, the first place a newborn resides is not a crib but an incubator.
The operational model of Chicco Dá Vida relies on direct collaboration with medical institutions. Each year, the brand selects a specific hospital to support, ranging from mainland cities to the Azores, with plans to eventually reach Madeira. The funding mechanism involves dedicating 1% of sales from two months at Chicco stores to purchase necessary equipment. Crucially, the hospitals themselves determine their specific needs, identifying which devices are required for their units. Chicco then contacts suppliers to acquire and deliver these items, ensuring that no cash donations are made but rather tangible medical tools reach the facilities.
Nádia Torquato, Brand and Communication Manager at Chicco, highlighted that the project was born from the understanding that birth is a transformative moment for any family. The initiative aims to extend the brand's mission of facilitating parents' lives by improving the quality of care provided to newborns in critical situations. Over the last two decades, the program has donated equipment valued at nearly one million euros across the country. While tracking individual beneficiaries is challenging due to privacy regulations and the passage of time, Torquato expressed certainty that countless children currently alive, some now adults, owe their survival to these interventions.
The project also underscores significant advancements in neonatology over the last 20 years. Torquato noted that two decades ago, a baby born at 21 weeks had virtually no chance of survival, whereas today such viability is possible thanks to technological evolution and specialized equipment. The brand emphasizes that neonatal units are highly dependent on specific technology that cannot be substituted by general medical devices. By visiting the hospitals annually during equipment delivery, Chicco witnesses the enthusiasm of healthcare professionals who rely on these resources to save lives.
To celebrate this milestone, a new campaign has been launched with the slogan "The first Next to Me is not always a Next to Me." This message references the brand's iconic Next to Me crib, designed for safe co-sleeping, while acknowledging that for premature infants, the first "next to me" experience often involves medical equipment rather than a bedside crib. The campaign seeks to highlight the critical role of neonatal units in ensuring that fragile babies can eventually reach the moment of joining their families at home.
Sources: Observador.