LITTLE BRADAN IS TRULY A MIRACLE BABY
Mother’s M incredible journey
A DONORE woman has described the birth of her son, Bradan Fergus Ryan, as a true miracle, as she battled hyperemesis, preeclampsia and then COVID-19 - all before his arrival into the world last week.
Former St Oliver’s CC student Dionne O’Rourke Ryan described her whole pregnancy journey as more like a ‘sci-fi’ film than real life, but said Bradan was a ‘precious little gift that they wanted for so long.’
Dionne and husband Eddie had been told that they couldn’t have a baby seven years ago - but then she got pregnant with her little ‘miracle man’.
Six weeks into the pregnancy she was diagnosed with hyperemesis and that would be the start of a tough 8 months, etched with tears and fears, at various moments.
She also had preeclampsia in recent weeks and when she began to suffer headaches and night sweats, she was recommended for a COVID-19 test, taking one in Navan and later in the Rotunda Hospital. One proved negative, but the second was positive and she had to be rushed in, suffering with breathing problems.
‘ The Rotunda was outstanding,’ she stated. She was afforded two midwives, Amy and Tanya, and each time they came in to her, were fully masked and gowned. ‘ They were great, but it was so lonely. I didn’t know what was going to happen to my baby, I was petrified for him.
‘I never thought I’d be going through this alone, but I had to. When you see people who look as if they are from a sci-fi film, your heart skips a beat.’
Going into her 36th week of pregnancy, doctors felt that they needed to do a C-Section, the first on a a woman with COVID in the Rotunda.
‘ They were amazing and talked me through it, but I know my husband Eddie would have loved to have been there,’ she explained.
But battler Bradan - named in honour of the story of the Salmon of Knowledge and wisdom (his dad felt he deserved a fitting name) - came through it all, all 5lbs of him!
Dionne says that women who have to go through the same journey of contracting COVID-19 should take some hope from her story. ‘ Bradan didn’t have COVID-19 in the womb, it has to be throught contact.’