On the 16th of January 2016 at 11.17am our son Theo Comiskey was born 11 weeks early and our lives changed forever. Suddenly our entire universe was recalibrated toward this new sun, this new life-force, all housed in a tiny little body, which was fighting for survival in an incubator in the Intensive Care Unit of Craigavon Hospital’s Neonatal ward. Theo entered our physical universe, weighing in at just 1lb 14 oz. of pure unadulterated divinity! He came into this word small, but healthy. Pink and feisty, breathing on his own - the best we could have hoped for.
The love we felt instantly gave us the strength to fight with him, but it was this love that crippled us with fear of losing him.
The amazing nurses told us about the neonatal rollercoaster ride and they weren’t joking. Prepare yourselves for it, was the advice we were given.
We had one beautiful week with our son, where everyday we got to talk to him, tell him how loved he was, how big and strong he was, we got to cuddle and our every ounce of love on him. Then our world imploded, a week in we got the call to say Theo was sick, he’d picked up an infection. For three days the wonderful staff at the neonatal unit in Craigavon did everything in their power to save our little miracle before they transferred him to the Royal, where the nurses and doctors and pharmacists worked day and night. For six days we sat by an incubator and watched the most disgusting infection ravage our baby boy. Day by day we watched it steal him from us. On the 28th of January, the fight was finally over and we had to part with our baby.
Sometimes in life there is no rhyme or reason but brutal experience has taught my husband and I the sheer propensity of the human spirit for compassion and love and that we have everything we need in the love we have for each other and the love and support that surrounds us and has elevated us in the days, weeks and months after Theo’s death.

Thank you,

Julie and Neil Comiskey