Mark was born in Antrim Area Hospital on 15th April 2010 at 27 weeks and weighing just 512g (1lb 1oz). He was rushed to the Royal's neonatal unit within hours. We were told that he wouldn't survive initially and that we should be prepared for the worst. He began to stabilise and started to hold his own over the next few weeks, feeding on just 0.1ml of milk through a syringe. Slowly but surely he started to grow and gain some weight but he had numerous obstacles to overcome, fighting infections and setbacks along the way. He spent 15 weeks in the neonatal units of The Royal Victoria and Antrim Area Hospitals, 11 of which were in intensive care. He got home on 30 July weighing 2kg (4lb).

The medical staff in both hospitals were amazing and were very attentive to Mark's needs. Tinylife family support workers visited us in hospital and talked with us as parents, providing emotional support and a friendly face through the tough days, as they too had gone through the same as parents. They also provided much needed funding for the essentials that a family needs when going through such a traumatic time, like a comfortable parents room to rest in during those long days in hospital and rooming in with your baby before getting home.

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