Diagnosis and treatment
Our baby boy Milo was born eight weeks premature on 21 March 2025 after I went into spontaneous labour. He spent three weeks on the
neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, before we could bring him home and start our lives together as a new family.
Over the next four weeks everything was going well until Milo started to get really poorly. He wasn’t feeding as much as he usually would, and he didn’t seem right in himself. We took him to the GP who didn’t think it was anything serious, but as his symptoms continued to worsen over the next two days, we just knew something wasn’t right. We decided to call 111, who told us to take him to A&E immediately. We drove him as quick as we could back to Harlow. In the 20 minutes it took to get there, he deteriorated very quickly. His heart rate had slowed considerably, he went grey and his breathing became laboured. Milo was also hypothermic with his organs shutting down including his kidneys failing and his left lung had collapsed. All of which was evidence that he was suffering from sepsis.
Milo was intubated and put on a ventilator as soon as he got there, with the doctors doing all they could to keep him alive. He needed specialist care, but with no paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Harlow, he needed to be transferred an hour away to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. He was blue lighted over and we met with the PICU team on arrival. It was at this point we realised just how serious the situation was. When we mentioned about going to get some essentials as we didn’t have anything with us, the doctor said we couldn’t go anywhere and needed to stay close by because Milo was critically ill. They didn’t even know whether he was going to make it through the night. That was simply terrifying.
Support from The Sick Children’s Trust and Acorn House
At just seven weeks old, his tiny body was incredibly vulnerable. He was still a week away from his actual due date, and the sepsis caused by a 
Pseudomonas infection was life-threatening. It was a horrendous situation to be thrown into. While the doctors worked to stabilise Milo, one of the consultants told us about a ‘Home from Home’ called Acorn House where parents could stay close to the hospital. Provided by The Sick Children’s Trust, it was just incredible. We had somewhere comfortable to sleep, a shower and shared kitchen, meaning we could look after ourselves as best we could while still being on the hospital grounds. We never wanted to leave Milo’s side, but Acorn House gave us the chance to get rest when we needed it while being able to return to the PICU in minutes should he take a turn for the worse.
Milo was on the ventilator for a week where he was pumped full of fluid and treated with a combination of strong pain medication, antibiotics and several blood transfusions to treat the sepsis. He spent a total of ten days recovering at Addenbrooke’s and throughout that time, my partner Jack and I stayed at Acorn House, supporting each other through this incredibly difficult time while never missing a moment with Milo. Even though we live geographically close to Harlow, driving back and forth every day when he was on the NICU really took its toll on us. While we were much further away from home at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Acorn House being just a short walk from the ward made the world of difference.
Having never dreamed that our baby would get so seriously ill, the PICU was a whole new world to us. With so many poorly children, their worrying parents and all the noise on the ward it can get really tough. It’s something that’s never going to leave us, but that is why we needed those breaks at Acorn House. The ‘Home from Home’ helped to relieve all those extra pressures, making the situation that little bit more manageable.
Looking forward to Christmas after leaving hospital
It could have been a completely different story for us, but I’m glad we listened to our instincts. Thanks to the amazing care he received both at
Harlow and Addenbrooke’s, Milo is now a thriving eight-month-old. He has regular follow up appointments, and will do until he reaches his first birthday, but everybody is very happy with his development. He’s like a different baby now – you would never know he was premature. He’s a chunky, happy little boy. The consultant even said that to have a premature baby survive the infection he had is just incredible.
We’re really looking forward to celebrating Milo’s first Christmas, which is even more special when we think about how critically ill he was. My mum is coming over from Dublin and we’ll all be together with Jack’s family, which will be so lovely. While I was pregnant this time last year, we often talked about how special his first Christmas would be. We can’t wait to begin our own family traditions with him.
While at Acorn House we realised how much it must cost for the ‘Homes from Home’ to exist. We can’t describe how grateful we are to have had that vital support. We know how tough times are for everyone, but anything you can give to The Sick Children’s Trust will help a family just like ours, spending Christmas in hospital with their seriously ill children. It will mean the absolute world to them.
Frances and Jack, Milo’s parents
