Jackson
Born at 24 + 6 weeks
Our little miracle Jackson was born at 24+6 weeks weighing just 730g. He was born at St George’s hospital in London.
It is a shock to see your baby for the first time on a ventilator and with wires everywhere and alarms constantly going off.
The first few weeks were a blur. It is so much to take in as well as coping with all the hormones and recovering from labour. We had such a rocky journey; conversations with the doctors were bleak as Jackson’s lungs were seriously underdeveloped and badly damaged from the ventilator. Doctors did not expect him to survive past the age of 2 and likely not to leave the hospital. We hit rock bottom on several occasions with discussions to stop his care and had to make decisions no one should have to make.
What helped me cope when the future was so uncertain was to focus my energy on how I could make Jackson happy each day. At the end of each day I would focus on the positives of that day and be grateful he was still here.
Other mums in the unit became my rock and helped us through. I also found premature Facebook groups helpful where I could ask other families questions who had been through similar journeys.
After 5 months at St Georges we got moved closer to home to Lister Hospital. The teams at Lister were amazing; they were so caring with Jackson and really helped us too as by this point we were also really fragile. I remember hearing them say the word ‘Going home’ and just cried as no one had dared mention that phrase to us.
Jackson kept getting stronger and moved off CPAP onto Vapotherm. The outreach team were amazing they kept checking we were okay and helped prepare us for going home.
After 203 days in hospital the day finally came we could go home. I honestly did not believe it was happening. I remember walking out the doors and feeling that we were stealing Jackson it was such a strange feeling. We took Jackson home on home oxygen and ng tube. It was daunting at first dealing with the oxygen and tube feeding at home. But after a few weeks we adjusted and it became second nature.
The outreach team put me in touch with other mums who had gone home on oxygen and ng. It was really reassuring to have other mums close by to get support and share advice.
The community teams have been so helpful whilst we have been at home. It seems scary to be at home away from all the nurses but all the teams in the community make it feel like you always have someone to talk to if you need help.
A year since leaving the NICU Jackson he is a happy little boy just like any other toddler. He is now off oxygen and recently no longer tube fed. Miracles really can happen I feel so blessed.
It is a shock to see your baby for the first time on a ventilator and with wires everywhere and alarms constantly going off.
The first few weeks were a blur. It is so much to take in as well as coping with all the hormones and recovering from labour. We had such a rocky journey; conversations with the doctors were bleak as Jackson’s lungs were seriously underdeveloped and badly damaged from the ventilator. Doctors did not expect him to survive past the age of 2 and likely not to leave the hospital. We hit rock bottom on several occasions with discussions to stop his care and had to make decisions no one should have to make.
What helped me cope when the future was so uncertain was to focus my energy on how I could make Jackson happy each day. At the end of each day I would focus on the positives of that day and be grateful he was still here.
Other mums in the unit became my rock and helped us through. I also found premature Facebook groups helpful where I could ask other families questions who had been through similar journeys.
After 5 months at St Georges we got moved closer to home to Lister Hospital. The teams at Lister were amazing; they were so caring with Jackson and really helped us too as by this point we were also really fragile. I remember hearing them say the word ‘Going home’ and just cried as no one had dared mention that phrase to us.
Jackson kept getting stronger and moved off CPAP onto Vapotherm. The outreach team were amazing they kept checking we were okay and helped prepare us for going home.
After 203 days in hospital the day finally came we could go home. I honestly did not believe it was happening. I remember walking out the doors and feeling that we were stealing Jackson it was such a strange feeling. We took Jackson home on home oxygen and ng tube. It was daunting at first dealing with the oxygen and tube feeding at home. But after a few weeks we adjusted and it became second nature.
The outreach team put me in touch with other mums who had gone home on oxygen and ng. It was really reassuring to have other mums close by to get support and share advice.
The community teams have been so helpful whilst we have been at home. It seems scary to be at home away from all the nurses but all the teams in the community make it feel like you always have someone to talk to if you need help.
A year since leaving the NICU Jackson he is a happy little boy just like any other toddler. He is now off oxygen and recently no longer tube fed. Miracles really can happen I feel so blessed.