Courageous beginnings
When Micaela-grace was born premature and with a dangerous condition, her family rallied around their little fighter
Having experienced a healthy pregnancy with her first daughter, Layla, Melissa Moody didn’t think twice about showing slightly bigger than average while pregnant with her second child. But when Melissa’s waters ruptured at just 29 weeks, the young mum was flown immediately from Mudgee in central west NSW, to Nepean Hospital more than 200km away in outer Sydney, where doctors performed an ultrasound revealing her unborn baby, Micaela-grace, had duodenal atresia. This congenital absence or closure of a portion of the lumen of the duodenum can cause intestinal obstruction in newborns but also increases levels of amniotic fluid during pregnancy.
Melissa, who was on bed rest at the time, was instantly transferred to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney where she unexpectedly gave birth just days later via an emergency C-section. “My placenta had ruptured and broken away, which meant MicaelaGrace lost a lot of oxygen and blood,” explains Melissa. “They had to do a number of transfusions and were resuscitating her for 15 minutes before she was revived.”
Thankfully, the family were offered a room at Ronald Mcdonald House Westmead within their very first week in hospital. This support became increasingly necessary as young Micaela-grace soon faced yet another set of obstacles.
“We’ve had a lot of setbacks especially with her being premature,” explains Melissa. “After her first operation the doctors tried to get her to have feeds and she was on so many IV drips, but she kept getting sick.” It was quickly revealed that Micaela-grace’s inability to keep food down was caused by a hiatus hernia.
“We are still trying to get her to a certain weight for that particular operation but it’s hard because she has horrible reflux,” says Melissa. “We don’t know if anything else is going to go wrong. She has coordination issues when feeding and doctors say she is showing signs of cerebral palsy.”
While Melissa and her family will have to wait until she gets older before they can determine whether she has any other underlying health issues, there’s no denying Micaela-grace’s fighting spirit.
“She’s been through so much – she even contracted rhinovirus and was in isolation.”
Thankfully, Melissa’s accommodation at Ronald Mcdonald House Westmead is just across the road from the hospital, ensuring she’s only a few minutes away at any given point in case of unexpected emergencies.
“To have a place that’s so close is amazing,” she says. “We’re so grateful to Ronald Mcdonald House Westmead and for just being here.”
The House has also proven to be an escape for Melissa’s two-year-old daughter. “It’s so great for the kids and we’ve even had Layla here for a few weeks,” says Melissa. “She often comes down but it’s hard for her because I’m here on my own as my partner Luke had to go back to work – we’re all trying to be in two places at once.”
Beyond the accommodation, Melissa has found that sharing her experience with other families in the house has been particularly helpful throughout their ongoing journey. “It’s an emotional roller coaster – one minute you feel fine, and the next you feel just done,” she says. “Then you hear other people’s stories and you just think of the courage that these people have… We’re all strong and we’re all in this together.”