First Christmas at home for toddler Noah
After two Christmases in hospital with her sick son, Rachael Patey tells Jenny Morrison he could finally celebrate his first one at home
WHEN Rachael Patey’s baby son started to choke and turn blue hours after hanging up his stocking on Christmas Eve last year, she feared the worst.
Miracle tot Noah had spent his first Christmas battling for life in hospital after being born nine weeks early with his oesophagus not connected to his stomach.
He remained in hospital for most of the first nine months of his life. Then, on Christmas Eve last year, he was readmitted after struggling to breathe.
Noah spent his second Christmas Day being treated in the high-dependency unit at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.
He stayed there until late on Christmas Day and over the last 12 months has made several return visits to the hospital for corrective surgery.
Now, despite being two years old, Noah, his mum Rachael and dad Jamie Kerr, both 26, are looking forward to him finally spending his first Christmas Day at home.
Rachael, of Edinburgh, said: “This will be Noah’s third Christmas but it will actually be the first that we all spend together at home.
“These last 12 months have been a rollercoaster for Noah. He has had three surgeries – two in the last few months
“But he is doing really well and we are looking forward to him hopefully being at home this Christmas.
“We’re looking forward to opening our presents in the morning, having Christmas dinner in the late afternoon and then playing lots of games in the evening. We can’t wait.”
Noah was born in November 2017 after Rachael went into labour more than two months earlier.
Within hours of his birth, Noah had been diagnosed with the rare birth defect trachaeoesophegeal fistula and transferred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.
He underwent life-saving surgery the following day to ensure any food or liquid he swallowed passed into his stomach and not into his windpipe and lungs.
Rachael said: “After a tough start in life, Noah recovered well.
“I remember telling all my family and friends that I was sure he would be home in time for his first Christmas but it wasn’t to be.
“Waking up in a different place from our baby on his first Christmas morning was heartbreaking.
“For the first nine months of Noah’s life, he was probably in hospital for eight of those months but by Christmas last year he was great.
“We all had our matching Christmas pyjamas and were having a wonderful Christmas Eve when Noah started to choke on his dinner. It was terrifying.
“Our neighbour is a nurse and we ran to get her help but she wasn’t in.
“We called an ambulance and he was rushed back to the Sick Kids where he ended up back in the high dependency unit.
“He was so poorly that at one point there was talk of him being put into an induced coma and on a ventilator but it turned out he still had a small piece of potato in his airway.
“As soon as that was cleared, he started to improve.” Rachael grateful and Jamie for all will the always care and support both they and their baby son received while in hospital over the festive period.
They were offered a place to sleep at the hospital on Christmas Eve thanks to the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC).
visited early morning, discovered When the their they next they son a stocking gifts his delivered bed at that the overnight full had side of been of by are The Santa. now backing family a ECHC campaign to by help the “Make Magical” Christmas for other youngsters their families and who hospital. will be in
For your child to be in hospital at Christmas makes it harder
Rachael said: “For your child to be in hospital at any time of the year can be hard but for them to be in hospital at Christmas makes it all the harder.” The ECHC campaign aims to ensure children, young people and their families have the best possible hospital experience, not just at Christmas but all y e a r round. Fiona O’Sullivan, arts programme manager at ECHC, said: “Christmas is a very special time of year and we work hard to ensure that no child or young person in hospital misses out on the joy of the festive season.” To make a donation, visit www.echcharity.org/ donate