On Wednesday 17th June 2020 we lost our nephew, Joey, when at the young age of 10 months old he gained his angel wings.

Joey was the most loveable, charismatic, and happiest little boy. His Mammy and Daddy gave him the best times he could ever wish for. Joey's days were crammed full of activities and adventures.

Initially, Joey displayed normal viral symptoms. He was unwell, but just like any illness that a 10 month old would get. However, he didn’t seem to get any better over a 3 week period. Parents, Gina and Jordan, trusted their instincts and took Joey to the doctors, and A&E 5 times in this time frame. Gina and Jordan then took Joey to a Walk in Clinic as they still weren't happy with there being no signs of improvement. Here, Joey had a seizure and was taken to James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough.

Joey was initially treated at James Cook where it soon became apparent that there was something not quite right with his brain, with it showing some kind of swelling. Further investigations were needed. The right place for this was the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. Joey was transferred by the Nectar team in an ambulance less than 24 hours after his seizure.

Within 12 hours of arriving at the RVI Joey received:

-Blood tests
-CT scan
-MRI Scan
-Lumber puncture
-Ultra sound

With Mammy and Daddy by his side, Joey received lots of specialist care. He was seen by Neuro Surgeons, Neuro Consultants, The Infectious Diseases Team, Cancer Consultants, and Anesthetists.

Quickly, Joey was placed into what’s known as Neuro Protection. This is effectively an induced coma which allowed Joey to give his brain a complete rest. It also allowed time for medication to work, and other interventions to happen. During this time he was looked after and monitored very closely by staff in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Joey was receiving regular strong medication, including steroids, antibiotics and antivirals.

While in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Joey had:

- 2 blood transfusions
- Emergency CT scans
- 2 further MRI Scans
- Emergency surgery repairing a burst blood vessel by specialist surgeons from another hospital

Unfortunately, the treatment could not stop the swelling in Joey's brain despite the doctors best efforts. This is what ultimately took Joey's life. The swelling stopped the oxygen from reaching his brain.

At this stage it is still unclear what  triggered the swelling in Joey's brain and investigations are still ongoing.

We are still unsure which charity the money raised in Joey's memory will be donated to. We know that the chosen charity will become clear to us in time. We are determined to make a difference to help others.

Joey's legacy will lead us down many adventurous paths and we will carry him in our hearts everywhere we go. Please support us, and Joey, on our many missions to come!