Early symptoms
Everything had gone smoothly during my pregnancy and the delivery of our third child, Evelyn. However, within the first 48 hours she was struggling to keep her feeds down and was vomiting yellow bile multiple times a day. We discussed this with the midwife during our house visit when Evelyn was five days old and were told it was nothing to worry about. We wanted to be sure though and went to the postnatal ward at Broomfield Hospital to see the pediatrician who echoed her thoughts.
Due to the timing of her birth our scheduled home visit at ten days old with the midwife would have occurred on Christmas Day so instead we were seen on the 27 December 2023 when Evelyn was 12 days old. We brought up the bilious vomit and her discomfort again as Evelyn had continued to be ill, but the midwife came to the same conclusions. We were still concerned so returned to the hospital with Evelyn where she was diagnosed with reflux. We were relieved to have an explanation and were hopeful that Evelyn would be more comfortable once we started her on her new prescription. Unfortunately, she didn’t get any better and over the next three days she couldn’t be put down at all as she would projectile vomit yellow bile after every feed. I sat up with her throughout the night as we couldn’t lay her down.
In the early hours of the 31 December 2023, when Evelyn was 16 days old, she started to choke on her vomit and stopped breathing. Her lips went blue, with her eyes were bulging and she was struggling to take a breath. We called 999 but during the call her breathing somewhat normalised. After a terrifying few seconds, she managed to start breathing again, but only in small, sharp breaths every five or ten seconds, which felt like minutes in the moment. Since Evelyn was now breathing on her own, we were informed that an ambulance wouldn’t arrive for at least 40 minutes. As we had a midwife visit scheduled for the next morning, we decided to watch her closely and call 999 again if she worsened as choking episodes and breath holding aren’t uncommon in babies who have reflux which was her most recent diagnosis. I stayed up the entire night making sure she was breathing okay.
Diagnosis and treatment
In the morning, we explained everything to the midwife, and given our repeated visits to the hospital, and the breathing episode the night before, she suggested we go back to the hospital and have Evelyn checked again to be on the safe side. When we arrived back at Broomfield Hospital Evelyn was very lethargic, and her skin was mottled. With everything that had happened before we were admitted immediately, with the doctors suspecting she had become septic. Evelyn was given antibiotics and taken for an X-ray, which revealed an issue with her intestines, potentially an obstruction. A tube was placed down her nose into her stomach to drain it and make Evelyn more comfortable while the doctors decided how to proceed.
” I was offered a place to stay at Acorn House, a ‘Home from Home’ just minutes away from the hospital. It was the most incredible news and felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.”
Meanwhile my husband, James, was at home with our two sons Edward, four, and Arthur, who is three, unaware of how Evelyn’s condition was escalating. Once the results from her x-ray were back, we were told that it was likely that Evelyn would be having an emergency operation that night. I naively assumed this would be taking place at our local hospital, and it was only when they explained that it would need to be done at a specialised hospital that I realised how serious her condition was.
The ambulance arrived at around 9pm to take us to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. As we would be arriving very late at night and unaware of what further tests would need to be done before her surgery my husband was unable to accompany us. Following the tests, Evelyn was diagnosed with intestinal malrotation with volvulus, causing a twist in her intestines and the blockage. She would have corrective surgery within the next couple of hours. James’ parents came to look after Edward and Arthur so he could be with me and Evelyn and within 30 minutes of his arrival we gave our baby daughter a kiss before she went into surgery. It was incredibly traumatic for us, and there were moments when we feared we might lose her.
Support from The Sick Children’s Trust
Thankfully, it was a complete success, with the surgeons able to untwist her intestines. Whilst Evelyn was recovering, I was able to stay in a makeshift bed by her cot at first, but I was beginning to struggle due to the anxiety from my daughter’s recovery and lack of sleep. Meanwhile, James was driving back and forth between Chelmsford and Cambridge so he could be there for Evelyn and still look after our sons. On the third day, I was approached by The Sick Children’s Trust team, who offered me a place to stay at Acorn House, a ‘Home from Home’ just minutes away from the hospital. It was the most incredible news and felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
They took me to Acorn House and welcomed me into the most beautiful place, where I had my own room, a shower, a communal kitchen, and all the facilities I needed to take care of myself properly. I could pump breast milk for Evelyn while she was on gut rest and finally get a good night’s sleep away from the beeping machines and busyness of the ward. James was able to stay with me as well, so we could take turns being with Evelyn while the other got some rest. It made all the difference. Edward and Arthur could even visit. With a playroom at Acorn House and a communal kitchen, we could make dinner in the evenings and spend time together – it really did feel like home.
After eight days at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Evelyn came home. She lost a lot of weight in the hospital, but she’s been fine since. Apart from the scar on her tummy, which you can only see when changing her, you’d have no idea what she went through. We’re hoping she’ll be completely discharged following her next appointment at Addenbrooke’s. We may have only used Acorn House for a short period, but the support we received blew us away. It was such a huge benefit for us.
Holly Ramsden, Evelyn’s mum
