My second son, George was born by emergency section in 2014 at 29 weeks after my waters broke at 28 weeks. He needed 4 doses of surfactant at birth and our doctor told us the next day that if George hadn't been taken out of me at that time, he wouldn't be alive. George spent 96 days in neonatal, after stopping breathing at his first set of injections and going back on oxygen occasionally overnight.
Eventually, we got him home, fully breastfed, only to discover after spending a week or two each winter (he suffers from weak lungs) that his tonsils and adenoids were causing an airway obstruction. He had them removed aged 3 and since then his oxygen levels only drop to mid 80%. He was diagnosed autistic at pre-school and attends mainstream school with one-to-one support. He also has been diagnosed with long-term visual impairment and premature puberty.
He's a smart little boy who thrives on routine. He'll have to adjust to living in a world that isn't to his understanding, as he'll need to develop coping skills. He's nearly 8 and is amazing. We wouldn't have chosen this route, but I'm so grateful as we have made many great friends in Simpsons who we are still friends with now.
Having George and the support of your charity kept us going throughout those times. Simple things like music, nice chairs, water cooler and other things kept us from going crazy. Every time I hear "I wanna be like you" from The Jungle Book, I'm transported back to neonatal. This is a charity I never wanted to know about, but, even nearly 8 years later, I'm still so grateful for you ~ Ellen, mum of George.