Poppy blooms after against-odds survival
Poppy Dixon’s will spend her first birthday at home after an against-theodds survival story.
When she was diagnosed with heart muscle disease, cardiomyopathy, at just 11 weeks old, Poppy’s parents Estelle and Nathan Dixon feared the worst for their daughter. But after a remarkable improvement, the Dixons were finally able to take Poppy home last Monday after a gruelling 270 days in hospital.
Facing the possibility of a heart transplant just weeks ago, an unexpected turn has seen Poppy discharged by doctors in time for her first birthday on Tuesday.
Relieved mother Estelle said she was in shock to finally have her daughter home and the family reunited after nine months of upheaval.
“After 270 days, we’re out of hospital. Poppy is no longer sleeping in a metal crib of a hospital but in the colour and comfort of home. It’s all very different, it’s still sinking in to be honest, but we’re all very happy,” Dixon said.
“Six months ago everything was really uncertain, Poppy had been at Starship for three months and it was just a period of waiting and seeing if medication was going to improve her heart function.
“We decided to try and get her off medication to determine whether she was dependant. If she was dependant and showed serious signs of cardiac failure, that would mean we would
Hhave to discuss going to Melbourne for a heart transplant.”
But Poppy came through the test with flying colours — revealing she is well enough to cope on her own.
“The condition she had, the odds were initially a one in three chance of survival. I think the reality is worse form that. Babies her age don’t really come back from cardiomyopathy.
“They didn’t expect her to survive at all.”
Had she not been strong enough, the Dixons were facing a move from Dinsdale in the Waikato to Melbourne, where they would have to wait for a donor heart.
Instead, the family — including Poppy’s siblings, 5-year-old Lily Rose and 3-year-old Jack — are able to return to a far more normal life.
Dixon said the outlook is as optimistic as they could have hoped for and they are focused on one day at a time.
In the short term, Dixon said they plan to spend Tuesday’s first birthday celebrations at home with a quiet family dinner. But they are planning a larger celebration to acknowledge the help of friends, family and medical experts.
“We’ve been incredibly blessed from all sorts of areas and really feel we want to do something to show our appreciation to people,” she said. For video, go to: nzherald.co.nz