Hi, my name is Brandon and I have just turned 10 😀. My mum calls me a miracle boy and here’s why.

In 2010, I spent 100 days of my life in Kings College Hospital’s Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).  Shortly after I was born, a midwife noticed that I would not warm up and I was transferred to the special care baby unit (SCBU).  They soon realised I needed even more specialist care and I was moved from my local hospital to Kings College.  At 24 hours old I had my first operation to remove 87 % of my large intestines which had knotted and died while I was in the womb, leaving me very ill.  My second operation was at 72 hours old. 

My parents were told that I may be in hospital for a further 11 months before I would be transferred back to our local hospital. I was their first child.

For the first six weeks of my life, they were not sure if I would survive without major complications.  I had a seizure so needed to have MRI scans and my liver started to fail.  My mum could not feed me and I could not have formula milk as my bowels could not digest properly.  I was on TPN, through a long line in my leg for 47 days. When I began milk feeds on day 48 it was just 1ml per hour!

For a further 52 days the nutrition team, surgeons and consultants cared for me, so that on September 2nd 2010, 100 days after my first night there, my parents were able to bring me home much earlier than anyone had expected.

I don’t remember this time, but my mum and dad have lots of photos.  Once a year I go back for my check up and I see the same consultant and some of the medical team who helped save me.  My consultant calls me a miracle boy.  Today, I am like any other boy of 10, I eat a lot, play games a lot and laugh a lot!

I am doing the challenge of 100 laps around my garden for 100 days in honour of my 100 days spent in the NICU of Kings.  Their skills saved me and without them I would not have survived to become a big brother 😀.

This is my way of saying thanks.  Help me to help them get other poorly children home.

Brandon