Authored by: Eden Jarrett
Contributing Authors: Vince Gate, Sema Sokpo, Carrie Noxon, & Ava Kirchen
Eden Jarrett was born prematurely at 29 weeks and under two pounds in a New York hospital a little over 17 years ago. Today, she draws on her own vulnerable beginning to make a big impact for other premature babies.
Jarrett grew up knowing her life began with uncertainty and was aware of the lifesaving interventions and highly skilled doctors and nurses who made her survival possible. As a teenager, she was inspired to find an effective way to support other families facing similar medical situations. Jarrett began researching neonatal healthcare, looking for ways to improve care for those born too soon.
Learning that 2.3 million neonatal deaths occur each year in sub-Saharan Africa, Jarrett realized that the medical interventions used to save her are not available to every baby everywhere. She discovered that neonatal wards in sub-Saharan Africa often lack access to affordable, durable, state-of-the-art incubators and essential equipment needed to care for premature babies in their first moments of life. As a premature baby born in the U.S., Jarrett had a 10 times greater chance of survival than someone born at the same gestational age in Africa.
Eden Jarrett stands by a phototherapy light and a warming mattress device developed for newborn care.
“I believe circumstances should never determine one’s chance at life or health. My privilege of being born with access to quality medical care and equipment is not something I take lightly. My wish is that all babies have the same chance of survival that I had.” – Eden Jarrett
To address this disparity, Jarrett founded Tiny Fighters Africa, a non-profit that funds the purchase of lifesaving neonatal medical equipment in partnership with hospitals in Nigeria. Her search for sustainable, high-quality medical equipment led her to Rice360 and the NEST360 alliance, whose core mission is to strengthen and improve neonatal care in low-resource settings, including Nigeria. Through NEST360, she was introduced to Hatch Technologies.
Hatch Technologies is a nonprofit organization and distributor of newborn medical devices, headquartered in Kenya. It operates in several African countries, distributing and supporting the high-impact use of affordable, high-quality medical devices designed and tested for newborn wards across sub-Saharan Africa. Hatch provides access to life-saving devices for the communities that need them most.
Tiny Fighters Africa’s partnership with Hatch was a breakthrough. Rather than a piecemeal strategy of funding individual devices, Tiny Fighters Africa funded a turnkey bundle of care devices, with Hatch handling logistics for delivering the equipment to the hospital. The hospitals would receive specialized equipment that meets the design requirements for African hospitals, with professional installation and, crucially, access to clinical and maintenance training needed to keep the equipment functional for years, saving newborn lives.
Shipment of medical devices arriving at Lagos Island Maternity Hospital.
“At Hatch, we believe every newborn deserves the best possible start in life. Our partnership with Tiny Fighters Africa shows how the right equipment, combined with training and long-term support, can help hospitals deliver better care and save more newborn lives.” – Vince Gate, Director of Finance and Operations at Hatch Technologies
“I like the name Tiny Fighters. It says a lot. Really, for any baby who is going to use any technologies, they are fighting for their lives. The pediatric team works very diligently here, because we really have a high number of premature babies. So, we are really grateful for this extra support.” – Olufemi M. Omololu, Chief Medical Director of Lagos Island Maternity
On October 9, 2025, Tiny Fighters Africa’s first hospital partner, Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, received its first shipment of medical equipment from Hatch, including an incubator, an oxygen concentrator, a phototherapy light, and a syringe pump. Jarrett continues fundraising for a second shipment of equipment expected to arrive at Massey Street Children’s Hospital in Lagos in August 2026.
Medical equipment distributed at Lagos Island Maternity Hospital.
As she prepares for college applications this coming year, Jarrett is focusing on educational opportunities that will help her eventually expand her non-profit work and advance her studies in the medical field. This summer, she is also volunteering in the NICU in New York City, where she was born, to support the babies there.
Jarrett is excited to continue the partnership between Hatch and Tiny Fighters Africa to support hospitals in Nigeria in providing high-quality newborn care where it is needed most. As a global community working together to transform the future of newborn care in sub-Saharan Africa, we look forward to following Jarrett’s personal story as it drives global impact.
“I am so grateful to the people at NEST360 and Hatch Technologies for all their help with Tiny Fighters Africa. We could not have done it without them. It is crucial that we send the best possible equipment that will work for these hospital systems in Africa, and Nest360 and Hatch have made that happen for us. We look forward to continuing to work with them to save the lives of NICU babies.” – Eden Jarrett
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Support Tiny Fighters Africa here.
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