Emily was born early on December 28th 2012. Despite initially breathing on her own the staff at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital quickly realised she was struggling and she was taken to the Neonatal Unit where, despite all efforts, they couldn't get Emily to breath alone.  Emily's mum was in recovery having had an emergency c-section when they came to tell us she was having difficulties and she was to be taken to another hospital.  She was flown by air ambulance to Yorkhill Children's Hospital in Glasgow. Emily's Dad drove to be with her and Emily's mum followed a few days later when she could get out of bed. Emily was in the Neonatal Unit, on breathing support and attached to all kinds of machines, pumping her full of the medicines she required to stay alive that is when Emilys' Mum and Dad were told that she was a VACTERL baby and that she had multiple issues.

V- Vetebral abromalities

A- Anal defects

C- Cardiac defects

T E- Tracheo-esophageal defects

R- Kidney defects

L- Limb defects

Emily had her first surgery on day 3 to create a stoma so that she was able to do the toilet after being born without an anus. Emily also had a heart condition which would require major open heart surgery and after her condition deteriorated she had the surgery on 4th January at just a week old weighing a little over 4lbs.  After a very long 10 hour wait for her to come out of surgery Emily and her family spent the next 5 weeks in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, she faced a series of set backs including collapsed lungs, kidney failure and then having to return to theatre to remove a build up of fluid in front of her heart.  Day in day out we built up relationships with the nurses who take care of Emily you feel completely helpless. They were unbelievable. They always remained calm and had such extensive knowledge of all the complications that could occur and made you feel at ease in what was a horrific experience. During our time at Yorkhill we stayed in Ronald McDonald House, 2 minutes from the hospital, a home from home. It's a brilliant facility which is free of charge for families with sick children in hospital. Emily remained stable and was able to go back to the Neonatal Unit when the specialised staff would work on her development and they would attempt to take her off her breathing support. With the help of the staff Emily grew from strength to strength and eventually she was strong enough to breath and feed alone. After 3 long months Emily and her family were ready for home.

Once home unfortunately Emily caught infection after infection and she spent the majority of the next 6 weeks in Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital. Her immune system was very weak and she was suffering from a severe airway abnormality which would require surgery but after having so many infections she ended up on permanent oxygen and her surgery needed to be done quickly. Emily's family were able to take her home on oxygen for the next 2 weeks before they made the journey to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London where Emily required surgery on her airway and on a second heart defect.  The next 5 weeks in the Cardiac Intensive Care Ward were spent where Emily recovered from another open heart surgery and major airway reconstruction. Once Emily was fit enough to travel she was flown back to Yorkhill so that the Ear, Nose & Throat Team (ENT) could monitor her.  She would require a procedure under anaesthetic every 6 months to check her airways, she has so far had 4 of these procedures and the repair of her airway looks great.

Emily was back in Yorkhill in June 2014 this year for the first part of her stoma reversal and just a few weeks later she had her stoma reversal completed and she is now able to do the toilet normally.  Currently, Emily is on her 13th procedure but she has done amazingly and has continued to come on leaps and bounds. She still has a few smaller issues to overcome but she has so far proved to be an amazing little fighter and she's shown great determination to overcome her difficulties.

During our time at Yorkhill we have met some of the most wonderful people, families who are going through similar things. Friends for life. We've felt pain and joy and seen things that will live with us forever but were surrounded by people who understood and who could sympathise with all sorts of feelings. It was a great support.

The team at Yorkhill have been amazing, from her wonderful surgeons, ward doctors, staff nurses, physiotherapists, specialist nurses, support team to auxiliaries, without them she wouldn't be here. It's as simple as that.