At one point they said they would give her 5 more minutes – she came back after three
WILLOW NEARLY DIED AT THREE WEEKS – NOW SHE HAS CELEBRATED HER FIRST BIRTHDAY
WILLOW Seagrave has just celebrated her first birthday against all the odds.
Willow was starved of oxygen for nearly an hour after suffering a cardiac arrest at three weeks old.
She had been vomiting and parents Chloe and Cole were referred to Leicester Royal Infirmary, where, minutes after arriving, she went into cardiac arrest.
Chloe said: “I dread to think what would have happened if we weren’t in the hospital.
“We were totally in the right place at the right time and if not, she wouldn’t be here today.”
It took 50 minutes to resuscitate Willow – which Chloe said felt more like 50 years – while her daughter was starved of oxygen.
She said: “At one point, they said they would try for five more minutes and she came back after three. I am so grateful they gave that extra five minutes.
“No one knew what was going on, we just knew she was very poorly.
“She had scans and was taken to the Children’s Intensive Care Unit (CICU).
“We weren’t allowed in, and I didn’t even know if my baby was alive. That wait was the worst time of my life.”
Despite the lack of oxygen, Willow had not suffered any brain damage.
However, tests discovered she had dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the left ventricle of the heart is enlarged. Willow’s heart works at just 20 per cent capacity.
She was discharged two weeks after her cardiac arrest.
But, days after returning home to Melton, she began to vomit again.
Doctors decided she needed a risky Hickman procedure, an operation to place a catheter on the right side of the chest wall to enable longterm access to the veins.
The operation was a success. Willow now needs eight lots of medication, 14 times a day.
She also sleeps a lot, but has surprised doctors with her recovery.
She now spends quality time at Rainbows hospice, in Loughborough.
Chloe said: “Rainbows was a place that had never crossed my mind.
“We were offered a week of Stepdown Care after leaving hospital and before going home and that really helped us as I was worried about being on my own with Willow.
“At Rainbows we were able to be a family again. All three of us slept in the same room and that was amazing. It was so nice to be together. It was so nice to not have to be doing everything as well.”
The family makes regular visits. Chloe said: “Willow loves Rainbows, she is non-stop smiles when she is there.
“We can’t take her to swim anywhere because temperatures are too cold and will shock her, but the hydrotherapy pool at Rainbows is so warm and Willow loves to go swimming.
“We also go to baby group, coffee mornings and parent and carer group.
“These all really help me not to feel isolated and it is so nice to have adult conversation with others who understand.”
Willow now celebrated her first birthday.
Chloe said: “We are so happy we get to celebrate her first birthday as we can never be sure of the future.
“The hardest thing is we just don’t know, so we need to live life to the full.”