From the moment I called 999 I knew things weren't going to be as planned. Natalie had collapsed and was in and out of consciousness. She was barely compesmentus. My Wife was in a bad way and our son that she was carrying could only be suffering as a result.
I arrived at maternity triage as Natalie was being handed over by the ambulance team. Shortly after, the alarm was pressed and all hell broke loose. Georges heart beat was slow. Natalie was rushed to theater and I followed. I managed to step foot into theatre but was turned around before I could even sit on the chair that was fetched for me.
Plans were changing, Natalie needed to go under general anaesthetic. I was sent out of theatre and sent to sit in an unused delivery suite by myself.
It was apparent things weren't going as expected and I managed to get hold of Natalie's mum and dad who then came to the hospital for support.
George has been delivered but is in poor condition, I was told. We will bring him past shortly, make sure you take a photograph! Is this the first and last opportunity I will get to see him? Will Natalie never get to see him alive? My head was a mess. They will get him sorted, I was thinking to myself.
I was later told that Natalie was in recovery but I should consider traveling to Wolverhampton with George. He was going for cooling therapy. What's cooling therapy? I was thinking. George required 72 hours cooling at Wolverhampton to allow his injured brain to rest. I stayed at Telford with Natalie. She would need me more. How would she have felt coming around from surgery having being blue lighted to hospital and now her husband and son aren't there.
George went to New Cross at Wolverhampton and I stayed with Natalie. He underwent 72 hours cooling and I visited daily, but what a horrendous time.
It is so scary not knowing if your child would survive, this was made worse due to him being our first child especially with us both being in our late 30's. Would we be able to have another child?
George completed his cooling and following a 3 week stay in the NICU, he made it home in time for my birthday and Christmas. We were extatic but we didn't understand his complexities.
George is an extremely complex baby and we are learning all the time. We are very fortunate to have been introduced to families who are experiencing similar with their children and are helping us to learn and providing help but it's still difficult.
George has had a few difficult nights recently which have been horrendous for Natalie and I but they are nothing new. George has been really difficult for his first 5 months at home. He hasn't slept through the night and cries unconsolably and no, it isn't colic. HIE baby cries seem to hit on a different level. We recently thought we had turned a corner whereby George slept for 3 nights from 1am through the night. We were so chuffed, but now we have reverted.
It is so difficult to manage and is heartbreaking seeing your child in pain and upset. We set up George's social media as a way of updating the kind donors who gave money towards George's fund for his hydrotherapy pool. This has provided lots of joy and comfort, he is at his most relaxed whilst in the water but still struggles on a daily basis.
As with all social media, things aren't always quite as they seem. We try to keep it real but it's always nicer to post the best of things. We want to protect George's dignity but it's important that you see some of the not so fun bits. We hate posting pictures and videos of George crying but life isn't easy and definitely isn't fair for George and it's important that people see the reality.
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