On 17th December 2012 our baby boy, Noah was born 15 weeks premature at The Rosie Hospital in Cambridge and was sent straight to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). His early birth was such a shock to my husband, Dan and I. It was even harder to cope with as we had been monitoring my pregnancy really closely to prevent this from happening, due to us losing our first baby at 24 weeks in November 2011.
We met Alan, the house manager of Chestnut House, the day after Noah was born and he told us about the ‘Home from Home’ accommodation The Sick Children’s Trust provides. In one conversation all our worries about accommodation were solved; we were able to stay in Chestnut House free of charge while Noah was in hospital. The house is located within The Rosie Hospital and is only a two minute walk away from the ward, which meant that we were never too far away from Noah and could always be there for him when he needed us. We live in Bedford which is an hour’s drive away, so without Chestnut House we would only have been able to visit the hospital once a day. Apart from the distance this would have put between us and Noah, it would also have been really expensive to travel back and forth every day. The Sick Children’s Trust was amazing and provided exactly what we needed.
Noah was really tiny when he was born due to his premature birth, weighing just 2lb. Aside from his tiny weight, we were also told that he had a pulmonary haemorrhage on his lungs and an open duct in his heart. If this wasn’t terrifying enough, the doctors also told us that there were some issues surrounding his brain. We were distraught and so worried; we just kept thinking that Noah was too tiny to have all these possible conditions.
Noah was in The Rosie Hospital for two weeks and we were able to stay at Chestnut House every night, which was a God send. It enabled us to get some rest, shower and cook proper meals, all the while knowing that if anything happened we could be with Noah in a matter of minutes. When Noah did grow to become a little stronger we were transferred to Lister Hospital in Stevenage; this really raised our hopes and we thought Noah was getting better. But then he developed a severe case of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) and we were rushed back to The Rosie Hospital. For a second time on 28th January this year, we were lucky enough to be welcomed back into Chestnut House.
Being at the house gave us time with our baby. Without this, we would have only been able to manage a daily visit and would have missed out on so much of Noah’s early life. If we had been in the position that many others find themselves in, being far away, we wouldn’t have had the special moments where we were able to connect with Noah. The close proximity of Chestnut House to Noah’s ward was really important for me too. Because of the C-section I had with Noah I was told to rest, so being only a minute’s walk from his bedside was perfect for me.
I remember one night going upstairs to say goodnight to Noah and he was really crying, for the first time ever, as he was nil by mouth at the time. The nurse suggested I hold him and comfort him to get him settled. Almost as soon as he heard and smelled me, he calmed down and dropped off to sleep. I was able to experience this very special moment because I was staying in Chestnut House and was only two minutes away from him; if I had been at home I almost definitely would have missed this moment.
The timing of Noah’s birth meant that we spent Christmas and New Year in the house which was hard, but being able to have dinner and laugh together with other families made it feel a little bit more festive, even though we were all going through a difficult time. It was such a support to have other families in the house that we could talk to. We were able to share our hopes, fears and dreams for our little ones. Chestnut House really brings together a community of ‘shared experience,’ and it is reassuring to know that others are going through a similar journey to you and to know you are not the only ones.
Our family could also come and visit, which was really important to us especially over Christmas. They could all visit Noah and it was really lovely that they could have a coffee with us in a quiet environment away from the busyness of the hospital. It was these little things in the house that made such a difference to us. Also, having Wi-Fi in the house meant that we could go on the internet and for us this was a way of coping as we started a blog that we wrote on every night. It became a diary for us both and was so therapeutic.
We cannot thank the staff at Chestnut House enough. Alan’s support and understanding during this difficult time is something that we wouldn’t trade for the world. He has such a wonderful way of making you laugh one minute but then to listen sensitively to the difficulties going on for you and your family in another.
Noah is currently at Bedford Hospital. He is improving every day and although life has changed dramatically for us and it’s not exactly how we planned it, every day is a step closer to taking our little boy home. Chestnut House and the staff have definitely made our journey a lot easier to manage and we cannot thank The Sick Children’s Trust enough.
Jen, Noah’s Mum
Friday, 26 April 2013
Every day is a step closer to taking our little boy home...
On 17th December 2012 our baby boy, Noah was born 15 weeks premature at The Rosie Hospital in Cambridge and was sent straight to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). His early birth was such a shock to my husband, Dan and I. It was even harder to cope with as we had been monitoring my pregnancy really closely to prevent this from happening, due to us losing our first baby at 24 weeks in November 2011.
We met Alan, the house manager of Chestnut House, the day after Noah was born and he told us about the ‘Home from Home’ accommodation The Sick Children’s Trust provides. In one conversation all our worries about accommodation were solved; we were able to stay in Chestnut House free of charge while Noah was in hospital. The house is located within The Rosie Hospital and is only a two minute walk away from the ward, which meant that we were never too far away from Noah and could always be there for him when he needed us. We live in Bedford which is an hour’s drive away, so without Chestnut House we would only have been able to visit the hospital once a day. Apart from the distance this would have put between us and Noah, it would also have been really expensive to travel back and forth every day. The Sick Children’s Trust was amazing and provided exactly what we needed.
Noah was really tiny when he was born due to his premature birth, weighing just 2lb. Aside from his tiny weight, we were also told that he had a pulmonary haemorrhage on his lungs and an open duct in his heart. If this wasn’t terrifying enough, the doctors also told us that there were some issues surrounding his brain. We were distraught and so worried; we just kept thinking that Noah was too tiny to have all these possible conditions.
Noah was in The Rosie Hospital for two weeks and we were able to stay at Chestnut House every night, which was a God send. It enabled us to get some rest, shower and cook proper meals, all the while knowing that if anything happened we could be with Noah in a matter of minutes. When Noah did grow to become a little stronger we were transferred to Lister Hospital in Stevenage; this really raised our hopes and we thought Noah was getting better. But then he developed a severe case of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) and we were rushed back to The Rosie Hospital. For a second time on 28th January this year, we were lucky enough to be welcomed back into Chestnut House.
Being at the house gave us time with our baby. Without this, we would have only been able to manage a daily visit and would have missed out on so much of Noah’s early life. If we had been in the position that many others find themselves in, being far away, we wouldn’t have had the special moments where we were able to connect with Noah. The close proximity of Chestnut House to Noah’s ward was really important for me too. Because of the C-section I had with Noah I was told to rest, so being only a minute’s walk from his bedside was perfect for me.
I remember one night going upstairs to say goodnight to Noah and he was really crying, for the first time ever, as he was nil by mouth at the time. The nurse suggested I hold him and comfort him to get him settled. Almost as soon as he heard and smelled me, he calmed down and dropped off to sleep. I was able to experience this very special moment because I was staying in Chestnut House and was only two minutes away from him; if I had been at home I almost definitely would have missed this moment.
The timing of Noah’s birth meant that we spent Christmas and New Year in the house which was hard, but being able to have dinner and laugh together with other families made it feel a little bit more festive, even though we were all going through a difficult time. It was such a support to have other families in the house that we could talk to. We were able to share our hopes, fears and dreams for our little ones. Chestnut House really brings together a community of ‘shared experience,’ and it is reassuring to know that others are going through a similar journey to you and to know you are not the only ones.
Our family could also come and visit, which was really important to us especially over Christmas. They could all visit Noah and it was really lovely that they could have a coffee with us in a quiet environment away from the busyness of the hospital. It was these little things in the house that made such a difference to us. Also, having Wi-Fi in the house meant that we could go on the internet and for us this was a way of coping as we started a blog that we wrote on every night. It became a diary for us both and was so therapeutic.
We cannot thank the staff at Chestnut House enough. Alan’s support and understanding during this difficult time is something that we wouldn’t trade for the world. He has such a wonderful way of making you laugh one minute but then to listen sensitively to the difficulties going on for you and your family in another.
Noah is currently at Bedford Hospital. He is improving every day and although life has changed dramatically for us and it’s not exactly how we planned it, every day is a step closer to taking our little boy home. Chestnut House and the staff have definitely made our journey a lot easier to manage and we cannot thank The Sick Children’s Trust enough.
Jen, Noah’s Mum
Friday, 12 April 2013
Crawford House has been there for us twice now.
In August 2011, my wife Gemma was having a few problems in her pregnancy and on 18 August 2011 we went to our Hospital (Durham) as we had several times, just expecting Gemma to be examined and be sent home again.
When we got to the hospital a doctor examined Gemma and quickly ran to get a senior doctor, leaving the midwife to explain to us that Gemma was in labour and the baby was on its way. Gemma was only 25 weeks pregnant! We were very quickly rushed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle.
When we arrived the doctors explained to us that because our son was so premature he would spend a long time in Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), probably until his actual due date. It was such an emotional time, we did not know what we were going to do. Our baby would have to stay in the RVI and we live almost an hour’s drive away. I was shown around SCBU and was told about Crawford House, a place where we could stay while our baby was in hospital. It was such a relief to know that we could stay so close to our little boy.
Benjamin was born four days later on 22 August 2011 at 2:10am at only 25 weeks 5 days gestation (almost 15 weeks premature) weighing only 1lb 12oz. He was transferred to SCBU to be ventilated and put on life support. Gemma was discharged two days later and luckily we were informed that there was a room at Crawford House for us. Crawford House is located in the hospital grounds, only 5 minutes walk away from the ward. Gail showed us around the house, and it was more than we had expected.
Staying at Crawford House allowed us to be close to Benjamin 24 hours a day. We stayed there for 79 days until Benjamin was well enough to be transferred to our local hospital. Gemma stayed at Crawford House every night, but I had to work so I had to come home for three days a week. It was always a relief coming back to Crawford House every Friday night; with my wife and son there it always felt like I was coming home. We would spend all day on the ward with Benjamin and come back to Crawford House to eat and sleep. I remember two occasions in particular, once when Benjamin needed help with his breathing and we stayed with him on the ward until very late, and once after we thought things were improving and Benjamin was getting better, he took a turn for the worse and needed to be resuscitated and put back on the ventilator and life support. The hospital phoned us in our room and updated us on Benjamin during the night. When things were so tough it was a great comfort knowing that there was somewhere close we could go for some peace and quiet or a lie down when we were just so exhausted.
We spent every waking moment on the ward, and we would not have been able to do that had Crawford house not being there for us to rest and recharge. When we had visitors it was nice coming back to Crawford House for a cuppa after spending hours on the ward.
We also found it helpful being around families that were going though a similar situation to us. It was nice going back to Crawford House and speaking with other families; it gave us a sense that we weren’t alone in our situation. We made some good friends at Crawford House.
Benjamin came home a happy healthy baby two days before his actual due date, spending a total of 99 days in hospital.
A few months after Benjamin came home, even after everything we had been through, we decided to try for another baby and we were soon pregnant with our second child. Gemma had a pretty good and problem free pregnancy until one day she started to have the same symptoms she had had when she was pregnant with Benjamin. We knew what was coming so Gemma rushed to hospital on 10 September while I stayed at home with Benjamin. Gemma was immediately admitted onto the ward. She was told that there was only a small chance of delivering early, but they still wanted her to stay in hospital overnight. During the night Gemma’s symptoms got worse and our worst fears were realised, she was in labour and baby number two was on his way. Gemma was only 24 weeks pregnant. Jacob was born very quickly the next morning, 12th September 2012 at 12:58, 16 weeks early, weighing a tiny 1lb 9oz. We knew what kind of journey we were going to have. In some ways that knowledge made it easier, but we knew it would be harder this time as Benjamin was only 13 months old. Jacob was transferred to the RVI that evening, and it was comforting to know that if Crawford House had a room we could stay there and be close to Jacob just like we had been for Benjamin.
Once Jacob had been transferred to the RVI Gemma spent another night in Durham hospital. During the night she had had a call from the RVI saying Jacob needed a blood transfusion (the first of many). We were desperate to get to the hospital to see him and so the next morning when Gemma was discharged from hospital and we all went straight to the RVI to see Jacob. Gemma phoned Gail at Crawford House explaining our situation and she remembered us from the previous year. When we arrived Gail was more than welcoming; she allowed us to use Crawford House facilities to give Benjamin his lunch and gave us a room straight away. We were very grateful for this as otherwise we could not have spent the day at the hospital with Benjamin, it meant one of us could stay at Crawford House with Benjamin and one of us could be on the ward with Jacob.
Being able to stay at Crawford House this time around was even more important as we had Benjamin. He loved playing in the play room and watching DVD’s in the living room. As with any 13 month old, he did not like sitting in the hospital with us for very long, so we would take it in turns being at Crawford House with him. This time around we could not stay together at Crawford House every night as Benjamin missed being at home after a few nights. Luckily I did not have to go into work much while Jacob was in hospital, so we would stay in Crawford House together for at least 2-3 nights of the week and for the rest of the week Gemma and I took turns to be at Crawford House or at home.
When Jacob was a few weeks old he needed heart surgery and he needed to be transferred to the Freeman Hospital at the other side of Newcastle for this. Jacob was to be transferred to the hospital at 7.30am. The night before, Gemma and I stayed at Crawford House, leaving Benjamin with a friend for the night, so we could go to the Freeman Hospital with Jacob. It would have been very difficult for us to get to the hospital that early in the morning if we were not staying at Crawford House.
Jacob’s time in hospital was a little tougher than Benjamin’s. Jacob was on a ventilator for seven weeks and had quite a few ups and downs in that time. We stayed at Crawford House until Jacob was ready to come home (108 days) on 30th December 2012 which was 2 days before his due date.
Five months after Jacob’s birth we are home as a family enjoying each and every day. We do have a few appointments at Newcastle and on those days Crawford House are happy to allow us to use their kitchen to feed our boys.
We cannot thank The Sick Children’s Trust and Crawford House enough. Having a room and somewhere we could go for 5 minutes to escape from the hospital was invaluable to us. We also became friendly with Jennie and it was nice to be able to go to Crawford house and have a little chat. We and our boys will be forever grateful to all the staff.
By Michael and Gemma Oliver, Benjamin and Jacob’s parents
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