PARENTS TELL OF THEIR ‘MEDICAL MIRACLE’ JAYDEN
TOT SURVIVED DESPITE HAVING NO FLUID IN THE WOMB.
LOCAL couple Kerry Geraghty and Daniel Squizzoni still can’t believe their ninemonth-old ‘medical miracle’ baby Jayden has defied all the odds to survive after they were told he had no chance of life. AT their ten week scan the couple, who live in Dunleer, were told to prepare for the worst.
Their unborn baby had no fluid in the womb and doctors said Kerry would almost certainly suffer a miscarriage in the coming weeks.
The couple went home and waited but as the weeks went on, their baby defied all the odds and proved the doctors wrong. Still, the couple were prepared for the worst.
‘We were told that the pregnancy wouldn’t go to full term and if it did he would die shortly after he was born, if he survived at all,’ explained Daniel who works as a manager in Centra, Dunleer. ‘ They told us the baby couldn’t survive without any fluid, his organs wouldn’t develop properly and that the condition was incompatible with life.
‘We were given advice and told it was up to us to decide what to do but we decided to continue with the pregnancy because otherwise you’d live your life not knowing what might have been.’
As well as the lack of fluid in the womb doctors believed Jayden was suffering from an extremely rare condition which would make it almost impossible for him to survive.
‘ There was no fluid at all up until Kerry was about seven months pregnant and then there was a tiny tiny pocket. You need to have fluid in the womb, especially in the 17th and 19th week because that’s when the baby practices breathing. The doctors told us there was as close to zero percent chance that he would live as they could give. That’s what the specialists told us. That what we could expect was that basically he would be born and pass away within minutes.’
However, the baby continued to grow and develop and Kerry was admitted to hospital in the Rotunda in Dublin.
‘Kerry was in the Rotunda for two weeks prior to Jayden being born and they wanted her to give birth naturally so she could spend time with him,’ explained Daniel. ‘He couldn’t really move much because there was no flued there and they were monitoring Kerry so there were time when his heartrate was starting to slow down and we’d think this is it and then he’d get stronger again.’
Kerry was eventually transferred back to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital where they discovered the baby was in the breech position and decided to do an emergency cesarean section.
‘ That decision saved his life because when he was born the cord was wrapped around his neck nine times,’ said Daniel. ‘If
he had to have been delivered naturally he would never have survived.
Baby Jayden was born two months early on September 20th and spent three months in the NICU of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital before he finally got to go home.
‘We are so grateful to the Lourdes and the NICU where he spent the first three months of his life. They gave him such fantastic care and we just want to give something back to show how much we appreciate it.’
‘ That’s why we wanted to raise money for the NICU because they were the ones who cared for him, he was with them for three months. They brought him up to good enough health for us to bring him home.’
Although baby Jayden is still undergoing tests to determine exactly what his condition is, doctors have now ruled out Edwards Syndrome and Potters Syndrome and believe he had Multiple Pytergium Syndrome, although this has still to be confirmed.
While baby Jayden still has lots of health complications including lung disease, dislocated hips and webbing all over his body as well as needing oxygen at night, his Dad says none of this gets the little tot down and describes his son as a ‘ little ray of sunshine’.
‘He’s as good as gold, he just takes it all in his stride and doesn’t let anything trouble. He’s our little miracle,’ said Daniel.
The fundraiser in aid of the NICU in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda will take place on Saturday, July 28th in the Grove House, Dunleer starting at 8pm. Tickets cost €10.