Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

This is our story of Maisie Evelyn Sanderson; 

November 2020 I took the test at the same time as holding my breath, because before this day I had tested 100 times over and never got to see those two pink lines. This time was different, after months of daily medication and injections and endless trips to the clinic our IVF was successful! We got those two pink lines that we had waited 6 years to see! 

This was the start to our journey - for the first 14 weeks everyday was a battle with what two hospitals called a “threatened miscarriage” and yet did nothing further to find the cause of this.

Then I changed my care provider to Derby Royal Hospital & I will never be able to thank them enough for the care they gave to both me and our daughter! After one visit to DRH I was examined and booked for a colposcopy which ended the “threatened miscarriage” and i was given a solid answer as to what was causing this. Following this i was assigned a “consultant led pregnancy” & I can not thank them enough for the extra support in which we received for many other difficulties we faced on this journey.

However come the beginning of our third trimester in this pregnancy I felt that everything was finally going smoothly, not at one point was my pregnancy how I had imagined it but still i was so blessed to carry the gift of life! 

Come 00:30am on Friday the 4th june. My waters broke, I was thinking this can’t be happening because she isn’t ready! I called the PAU @ Derby Royal Hospital and was advised to go down for assesment, so we got in the car and off we headed to the hospital - I am not really sure at this moment what we were both feeling! We arrived at the hospital and at 1:45am the monitoring started - i recieved a steroid injection to help develop her lungs as a precaution ready for her arrival - 24 hours later I got the second shot of steroids! 

Saturday came and went and there was still no baby or signs of going home! Sunday arrived and the monitoring continued - the midwifes were phenomenal in the care and support they gave to us both! Sunday night and Maisie’s heart rate started to drop, the decision was made to move me onto the labour ward, Monday morning arrived and the overwhelming moment occurred when my room filled with two surgeons, a consultant, a midwife, a registra and an anethatist. The plan was made our Daughter was going to be delivered because she couldn’t stay within me anymore. 

From this moment the Neonatal intensive care unit became actively involved. The Doctor from NICU visited us in my labour room and we were talked through the steps of what to expect when our 32 week +1 baby would be born. 

I was induced and my labour started at 3:30pm on Monday the 7th of June - I continued through to Tuesday 8th June and our Daughther was safely delivered at 08:27am via emergency C Section weighing 4lb 4oz. We never got to hold her she was attended to by the 4 amazing staff from NICU before being taken through to the unit. 

7 hours later we were able to go into the Neonatal intensive care unit to our perfect Daughter. We were overwhelmed by the wires and tubes and noises but again the allocated nurse to our Daughter explained everything to us which helped us to feel more relaxed. We were given a tour of the unit - parents lounge - parents kitchen (food is provided by the charity that supports the unit) 

There are flats which allow parents to spend the night with their child prior to discharge to enable parents to have a night with the support of the ward staff if they feel they would benefit from the extra support. The staff on the ward have been amazing from the start! We have been encouraged to actively be involved in Maisie’s care from day one. They explain everything they are doing and the reasons why, they are caring and supportive and nothing is ever too much for them! 

Parents can visit any time of the day or night! Can call 24 hours a day for an update from the nurse providing care to your baby! They have decorated her incubator with her name, they have made her a special sign with her name and photograph on to make her area more personalised. We arrived Father’s Day and the night staff had laid out a gift and a handmade card including Maisie’s foot print, ready for Craigs visit! 

The friends of the baby unit is a small charity which runs to support the upkeep of the equipment used in the unit but also to fund new equipment. They provide meals and drinks to the parents who are there day and night with their babies and also provide clothing for the babies who are born prematurely! (Which believe me is a god send!) 

Example being the cost of an incubator in the NICU is £2,500! At the time of Maisie’s admission into the NICU there were 16 babies, all of which require specialist feeding equipment, breathing equipment, hot cots, incubators. 

Any donations to support the work and care that the Neonatal intensive care unit provide to premature babies would not go un appreciated! I know we will forever be grateful to them for saving our Daughter! 13 days in and she is doing so well! 💪🏼🤍 

Please share to spread the awareness of the amazing work that they do! You just don’t know one day you or your family may need them!