Diagnosis and treatment
A mum from Hull has completed a 50-mile walking challenge in support of The Sick Children’s Trust, the charity that supported her when her
newborn son underwent lifesaving surgery.
Gemma Graham took on the charity’s Long Walk Home challenge, covering 50 miles throughout June. She wanted to raise vital funds after The Sick Children’s Trust provided her with a ‘Home from Home’ when her son, Jack, required specialist surgery at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
Jack was delivered by emergency caesarean section after doctors discovered his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. Less than 24 hours later, he was unable to keep any feeds down and was diagnosed with an anorectal malfunction. He needed emergency surgery in Sheffield to have a stoma fitted.
As Jack was transferred by ambulance, Gemma and her husband, Alun, followed by car. Jack was taken straight into surgery, and after the successful procedure, Gemma and Alun began desperately searching for a hotel close to the hospital.
Support from The Sick Children’s Trust
When they returned the following morning, staff arranged for the new parents to stay with The Sick Children’s Trust at its ‘Home from Home’, Magnolia House. Just a short walk from Jack’s bedside, Magnolia House meant Gemma could stay close to her baby, rather than travel the hour-long journey from their home in Hull each day.
After 11 days in hospital, Jack was able to return home to await further surgery to correct his condition and remove the stoma. To thank the charity for its support, Gemma raised £216 through her Long Walk Home challenge. She said:
“Being told that our newborn son needed lifesaving surgery at a completely different hospital was incredibly frightening. Seeing how small Jack was, connected to all those wires and tubes in the transport ambulance, was the scariest moment of my life.
“All the staff in Sheffield were absolutely brilliant and his surgery went really well, but suddenly Alun and I were an hour away from home, with our son recovering from major surgery and me still recovering from a c-section.
“We stayed in a hotel that first night, but we simply couldn’t afford to stay longer. With no accommodation at the hospital, it looked like our only option was to drive back and forth — which would have caused so much extra stress and meant lost time with our baby boy.
“Thankfully, the staff at Magnolia House arranged a room for us — and I can’t express what a difference that ‘Home from Home’ made. It allowed us to be with Jack around the clock, completely free of charge. Even though he was in hospital, I was able to feed him day and night, bond with him, and experience all those new mum moments. None of that would’ve been possible if we had to travel from home every day. It was a lifesaver.
“At Magnolia House we could cook proper meals — which, as a diabetic, was really important — get some rest, and feel a sense of normality. While we’d imagined those first few days at home, Magnolia House gave us many of those same comforts. Jack still has another surgery ahead of him, but he’s doing really well and getting bigger every day. He’s a super happy, smiley baby.
Fundraising through the Long Walk Home
“While we were staying at Magnolia House, I saw a poster about fundraising. The charity relies completely on donations to support families like ours, and I said to Alun, ‘I’ve got to do something — we can never repay The Sick Children’s Trust for everything they did.’ When I saw the Home to Home challenge, I thought it was the perfect way to raise money and get a bit fitter at the same time.
“It was definitely a tough challenge at times, but I’m so happy to have raised money to support The Sick Children’s Trust so they can keep providing their invaluable support to more families.”
More information about Gemma’s fundraising can be found on her JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/gemma-jack-graham
