On the 12th of April 2018 Conail and I brought our beautiful boy into the world, Corrin. We were besotted at how such a tiny little boy who was so perfect in everyway was our baby and we could not love someone as much as we love Corrin.

On the 13th of April we noticed Corrin turn in funny directions and make movements that we knew were not normal for a newborn baby, however, at the time were reassured by a paediatrician that Corrin was okay and were told we could go home. As most mothers know there is such a thing as a motherly instinct and I just knew in my heart there was something wrong with our son. I told the midwife I wasn't happy taking my baby home and wanted a second opinion. 

Within 20 minutes our son was in an incubator and not breathing, no one could understand what was happening. For 8 hours Corrin was taking constant seizures and each time they happened, he stopped breathing. At the time we weren't sure what was going to happen and neither were the doctors or nurses and we were asked to leave the room multiple times so they could work on Corrin in the neonatal ward of causeway hospital, it was the scariest time of both me and Conails lives and to walk out of the room not knowing what was going to happen to our precious little boy, shattered us both completely. Corrin was sedated heavily with morphine and put on life support to try and stabilise him so a specialised team could try and move him to the Royal Victoria intensive care unit.

Those 8 hours seemed like a life time for Conail, myself and our families and no one should ever have to watch their newborn baby fight for their life and not know what was going to happen. In the NICU Corrin had so many wires and tubes coming from his tiny little body and it was so heart breaking to watch his limbs be covered in bruises from so many injections and needles but the worst part was not being able to hold our son. It was not the way we were expecting to spend our days as first time parents and everything we faced was so frightening but each minute of those days that seemed to last a lifetime Corrin put up such a fight and for that he will always be our hero 💙 He had so many tests done and at just 5 days old he underwent an MRI. Corrin wasn’t back in the unit 20 minutes until a consultant came to talk to us and that was the moment we knew something was wrong our hearts shattered and everything happened so quickly. 

They had discovered he had a major blockage on the right side of his brain. The neurologist that day said to us 'we are shocked and were not expecting this and we aren't Corrin's parents' no one ever expects to hear something so severe about their child but we were just glad, blessed and relived that Corrin had fought through so much and over come so many hurdles already. We count our lucky stars everyday that he is still here with us.

Corrin has been diagnosed with seizures which he takes medication for twice a day and cerebral palsy which causes the left side of his body to be weaker although at this stage we don't know what way it is going to affect him as he grows up. Each day Corrin makes us so proud as we watch him grow into an amazing little boy and achieves milestones we were told he may never reach. For someone so tiny he has so much fight and we cherish each and every second with him.

We recently come across a charity called the Buddy Bear Trust in Dungannon which is a conductive educational school that helps children with cerebral palsy, they guide support and push each child to their limits to try and give them the best chance at a 'normal' life. Corrin will be starting here in September with the hope he will be able to walk and talk as he grows up just like other children his age. No matter what he achieves we will still be so proud of him. The Buddy Bear Trust doesn't receive much funding apart from what parents and staff raise therefore Conail and I are taking part in the Go Nutts Belfast Mud Run on the 25th of August to raise money for the school as over the next few years the staff and facilities are going to be a massive part of Corrin, Conail and my life, which we are so thankful for as there aren't many resources out there for children with cerebral palsy.

We would appreciate any donation big or small as it will be appreciated by not only us but the other parents at Buddy Bear Trust as they help each child function at their highest level possible and we want Corrin to reach his full potential and we know with the help and support of the staff at the Buddy Bear Trust he will.

Thank you for all of your support we appreciate it so much 

Conail, Courtney & Corrin x