Our little Ivy was born on 12th May 2018, at 9 days old she stopped breathing for a couple of seconds, as a mother I thought she was breath holding, I was going to the doctors that morning as it was for them to check her, so thought I would give it a mention then. I arrived at the doctors as I sat down in the chair she stopped breathing in my arms again, an ambulance was called and I was sent to Hillingdon. 

She stopped breathing a further 5 times at Hillingdon. All test were done, bloods, urine and ever a lumbar puncture. The last time she stopped breathing is something I will never be able to speak about it was a living nightmare. I was told ‘it’s not safe for her to be here any more’ she was put on a ventilator and was told we was going to St Mary’s in Paddington. 

While she was ventilated she had an ultrasound on her head where the doctor found a blood clot in the brain, this was when I was told she would need a neurological team and this was only available a GOSH. Around 10pm was blue lighted the whole way to GOSH and she was in intensive care, 1-2-1 nursing 24 hours a day. When I say 24 hours a day I mean nurses wasn’t allowed to cross the corridor without someone else being in the room. 

We was told any parents worst fear, she had meningitis and antibiotics was started straight away. 

We was given emergency accommodation that night to stay in, we was up at 6am and sat with our ‘baby B’ until 11pm every day just staring at her helpless. 

GOSH provided all accommodation for us so we could be with her at all times. 

Nurses used to call her ‘Doris’ every hand over used to be ‘this is Baby B aka Doris’ which is we’re her name came from. (9 months of pregnancy but didn’t have a name!) 

After 5 days in intensive care she was taken of the ventilator and breathed on her own with no complications again. However there was still the issue of the blood clot in the brain which was causing the ventricles to swell (hydrocephalus)

We was sent back to Hillingdon were she was to finish the 21 day course of antibiotics. During this time Ivy become very uncomfortable again and I stressed that I wasn’t comfortable with how uncomfortable she was so we was sent for a ultrasound we there ventricles swollen and causing the head to swell, Hillingdon contacted GOSH and GOSH gave us an operation date for a shunt to be put in Ivy’s head to help drain the fluid. 

I was petrified and tried to put it to the back of my mind, any operation is scary but on a tiny baby and on there brain was very hard to take in and digest. 

The operation date was given an Ivy and I was taken to GOSH again, we stayed with her until she was sedated were she laid asleep and we said our goodbye ‘see you in a few hours little Doris, I love you’  We sat on the ward and waited for what felt like days for them to tell us she was up and coming back round. I was taken down to my little Ivy and all her head was bandaged up. We stayed in for another 3 days after before we was aloud home. 

We are so quick to moan about the NHS, I’ll be the first to admit I have moaned about them, however in this circumstance hand on my heart I could not fault them. 

Even at Hillingdon (Peter Pan Ward). Myself and Ivy was in hospital for around a month (majority at Hillingdon) and all nurses that done obs, doctors on the rounds become family and I will forever be in there debt, they sat with me while I cried, they made me sweet teas when I was on the verge of giving up because I was so emotionally drained, they sat and put the worlds to right with they was my family. 

GOSH will always have a place in my heart, the standard of care that was given to Ivy Doris was phenomenal, even when she was on a ventilator nurses made sure I was involved they let me change her bum and wipe her eyes. We was told so many times ‘go and eat and get some fresh air before you drive yourself mad, I promise I’ll look after her and if any thing changes I’ll call’ and that they did, they looked after her, we had support members come round and check we was ok, even down to someone sorting a parking ticket out that we had got. By the time we left I swear I could qualify as a nurse they explained all the machines and numbers, anything they gave her in regards to medicine I was told, if the machine made a noise I was sat upright straight away panicked and they told me exactly what it was, I cannot explain the quality of care that was given - all though our whole world has been tipped upside down they still managed to keep us calm and in the loop at all times.

You hear of these things happening of people’s babies being unwell but never do you ever think it would be yours. 

I’ll never be able to return the favour of what they have done for me however I hope the money we raise will help other little boys and girls that need it. 

No matter how big or small if you could donate and help me give just a little something back to the hospital that saved our little blessing  that is Ivy Doris I would appreciate it. 

Thank you ❤️