Our beautiful Nelly Elizabeth Wakefield was born on Saturday 5^th August 2017 at 2.58am, weighing  just 4lb 3oz. Not only did she arrive in this world six weeks early but she also had a condition called Gastroschisis. This is a defect of the abdominal wall which meant that some of Nelly’s intestines were outside of her body.  This condition was diagnosed at the 12 week scan and it was obviously devastating to know that our beautiful baby would need major surgery at birth, as well as intensive care support for a long period of time.

Nelly was born by emergency C-section at Southend Hospital. The staff were amazing- Nelly was only the second baby in the past 20+ years that the midwife had seen born at the hospital with this condition. After Nelly’s birth, the staff covered her intestines in cling film to protect them and she was then rushed to The Royal London Hospital by ambulance so a specialist team could operate. Within 12 hours of her being born, Nelly’s intestines were put back inside her body and she was placed under the care of NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) where a team of surgeons, midwives, paediatric doctors and nurses provided exemplary care for Nelly.

The Royal London Hospital is miles away from where we live and the thought of being separated from Nelly during this time of uncertainty was very scary. The staff at the hospital put us in touch with Stevenson House which provides accommodation minutes away from NICU. This
invaluable service is run by The Sick Children’s Trust.  With a direct line to the ward in our room, we were just a phone call away from Nelly at all times and could be by her side within minutes if needed. It also gave some normality for us when we needed to rest, sleep or eat.  This extraordinary place also provided a feeling of unity between families who had been thrown together in such unfortunate circumstances.

As the days turned into weeks, Nelly was slowly but surely starting to feed and recover from her operation. We were finally able to cuddle our baby and words cannot explain how special this moment was.  After 6 weeks and 1 day, Nelly was transferred back to the special care unit at our local hospital in Southend and, much to our joy, she came home the following day.

As first time parents this was a lot to deal with and during some very painful and emotional times with our brave little Nelly, we were always grateful for the support provided by The Sick Children’s Trust. Stevenson House made a massive difference to us – it’s almost impossible to find the words to express our thanks and gratitude to all the staff that supported us during our stay.  We are truly thankful and Stevenson House will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Nelly is now thriving! She has been loving all the cuddles with family and friends, who are totally in love with her!

Stevenson House is now becoming a poignant memory and so it’s time for us to give something back to this remarkable charity.

We are looking to raise funds for The Sick Children’s Trust and would be grateful for any donation – however small. Every little bit will help to support other families who have traumatic times ahead of them with their new-born babies. This is just a little something we can do for Stevenson House to show our sincere appreciation and thanks for helping our brave Nelly to recover from major surgery and lead a normal life. We are so thankful for her perfect health and can now look forward to the future and good times ahead as a family.