Early treatment in hospital
My pregnancy and the birth of our second son, Blake, were textbook, with him arriving at Sunderland Royal Hospital the day before his due date. However, things quickly took a worrying turn when, shortly after being born, Blake struggled to breathe. His condition worsened until he had to be placed on a ventilator. Thankfully, he was only on the machine for 24 hours, and after coming off it, he seemed to be doing okay.
I was able to start breastfeeding him, but out of nowhere, he began vomiting blood. This happened three times and was incredibly alarming.
Blake required an emergency blood transfusion due to the amount of blood he was losing. The medical team didn’t know why he was bleeding so heavily or what was causing it, so he was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle for specialist care.
As you can imagine, this was terrifying for my partner, Carl, and me. In the space of 48 hours, we went from a straightforward birth to travelling to a different hospital in an ambulance under blue lights. Since Blake was born just before Easter weekend, it would have been difficult to find accommodation, but the hospital staff arranged temporary housing for us on the ward. While Blake remained in intensive care, he continued to need blood transfusions as he started bleeding from his bottom as well. None of the specialists or surgeons had ever seen anything like this in a newborn, which made the situation even more frightening. We were completely unprepared and uncertain about how long Blake would be in the hospital or what his treatment would involve.
Support from The Sick Children’s Trust
Because of our circumstances, the hospital arranged for us to stay at Crawford House, a ‘Home from Home’ run by The Sick Children’s Trust. The house was just minutes away from the hospital, allowing us to stay close to Blake, as parents aren’t allowed to stay long-term in intensive 
care units. Although we lived in Sunderland, which isn’t far from Newcastle, that 30-minute drive can feel like a world away when your child is seriously ill. I couldn’t bear the thought of being that far from him. It might as well have been another planet. That’s why I’m so grateful for Crawford House. I could visit Blake at night, feed him, and most importantly, be there for any major developments in his condition.
Looking back, it’s hard to think about those moments when I feared we might lose him. If the worst had happened, Crawford House would have meant the difference between me saying a final goodbye to Blake or not.
Diagnosis and treatment
To determine the cause of his bleeding, Blake needed to undergo a procedure to have a scope put down his throat, which for a newborn, is a full surgery. Thankfully, they didn’t have to cut him open, and they discovered ulcers in his stomach that had been causing the bleeding. Even the paediatric gastroenterologist, Mr. Campbell, had never seen ulcers in a newborn, but at least we finally knew what we were dealing with. The doctors took biopsies for further testing, gave Blake medication to reduce the gastritis and lesions, and placed a feeding tube directly into his bowel so he could still be nourished without worsening the ulcers.
“Our eldest son, Nolan, also joined us at Crawford House. It gave us more than just a place to stay— it kept us together and supported us through a very difficult time. It really was, as the charity says, a ‘Home from Home.'”
Additional support from The Sick Children’s Trust
We continued to stay at Crawford House during Blake’s recovery, and it was wonderful to have our older son, Nolan, join us. We’d been telling him right up to my due date that once he was back from school his new baby brother would be at home, but that never happened. In reality mummy went into hospital and then quickly came home to get a bag of stuff before disappearing for days. It was a lot for him to deal with which he didn’t understand, but Crawford House gave us a place to still be together. Nolan could visit his brother without having to spend too much time in the hospital, where it was upsetting for him to see Blake covered in wires. He loved the big playroom at Crawford House, and every time we left, he would talk about how much he wanted to go back. Crawford House gave us more than just a place to stay— it kept us together and supported us through a very difficult time. It really was, as the charity says, a “Home from Home.”
Staying there also helped me mentally. I connected with other families who were going through similar experiences, and we supported each other—it felt like therapy. I also spoke with a hospital psychologist, which was crucial for processing everything that was happening. She scheduled a session for me while Blake was in surgery, giving me someone to talk to instead of being consumed by worry and negative thoughts. I would have just sat there, fearing the worst – wondering if he had bled out during surgery – so it was vital not to fixate on the worst-case scenario.
Thankfully, the biopsy results were clear, and Blake’s ulcers began healing. He was transferred back to Sunderland for an extra day before being discharged. Though I couldn’t stay with him at that point, it reminded me how essential Crawford House had been. We may never know why Blake developed the ulcers, but it seems like there will be no long-term effects. He’s absolutely flying through life now and he’s really advanced for his age.
Kate Clifford, Blake and Nolan’s mum
