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LAST CHRISTMAS WAS UNLIKE ANY OTHER
Mum Katie will always remember the compassion and sensitivity the nurses from Claire House gave her in the run up to last Christmas , making memories and meeting new people after her new daughter Elodie ' s six-week hospital stay , when she didn ’ t know if Elodie would survive .
“ My daughter was delivered quite quickly but then took a turn for the worse within an hour or so . She suffered multiple organ failure and was put on a ventilator . She was diagnosed with HIE grade three , meaning there had been a loss of oxygen to the brain , and we were told it was likely she would be severely disabled .
The hospital spoke to us about getting Claire House involved and it became obvious she was possibly not going to make it . The speed at which the hospice nurses arrived on a rainy Sunday morning made us realise this was not good news , but they were so lovely .
Every time someone from the hospice came , nothing was too much trouble . I felt like they went above and beyond .
They spoke of making memories , which at the time we didn ’ t want to be a part of . It was the thought of it being so final , we just couldn ’ t do it . They were so lovely and just did it knowing we were going to have something to remember her by no matter what came next .
They took footprints on a canvas and on a little pot and we have charms that are so precious . We have all these lovely keepsakes . They are positive memories we have from a terrible time . We couldn ’ t have asked for anymore . That and the big hugs and squeezes .
Elodie ’ s next few weeks were a rocky road . She had to have an emergency operation to have a stoma created to help her get rid of bodily fluids and waste after her bowel had perforated . It was nearly six weeks after she was born that we went home with her . It was such a different Christmas . I don ’ t think we even bought a tree . I could have gone ‘ forget it ’. It ’ s the uncertainty about
‘ what is the future ’. You go through the motions but it hit us that we didn ’ t know what life was going to be like .
After that Elodie ’ s just gone from strength to strength . From the days of having resuscitation plans in an intensive care unit she is now in nursery and is on no medication .
Everyone at the hospice has been so supportive . The people we have dealt with have felt like life-long friends . People know about Elodie even if they haven ’ t met her ; it is a family feel .
I have regular phone calls from Jenny , one of the Claire House nurses . They are so warm and encouraging . Every time I can tell her something new Elodie is doing . It helps you keep track and remember the progress she has made and have someone who can give advice . I went to the Claire House baby group . I loved it as Elodie is behind developmentally and I found it hard to be with children and parents who haven ’ t been through everything we have .
To go to a group where people have had a similar journey is comforting . You feel like the only person going through these things and that everyone else is having these rosy times . It ’ s good to acknowledge it was rubbish , but other people have had it rubbish too .
Elodie had her stoma reversal just before lockdown , it would have been quite upsetting not to have had that done .
She is thirteen months old now and this Christmas I would love it to see her move . She is sitting and reaching over and she is desperate to go somewhere . If she could crawl or pull herself up that would make my year . She is desperate to do it . That is our big Christmas wish . This year will be so different . It ' s Christmas , we ’ re all together and things look great . The one thing I hope to do in the future is some fundraising to thank all the people who have helped us .”
For more information about Claire House visit : www . clairehouse . org . uk
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