‘world came crashing down’
“He couldn’t eat anything and was dribbling a lot. I decided to take him to hospital but as soon as we got to A&E he collapsed.” Following an examination medics discovered that an artery in Mark’s neck had dissected, stopping oxygen from entering his brain.
“They discovered that his blood pressure was incredibly high,” Sam added. “They initially thought we had been in a car crash, as it’s a similar type of injury.”
Mark ended up spending months in UHW.
“I didn’t think he was going to survive,” added Sam.
“At the time I was trying to juggle looking after him as well as Ryan but I did have great support from my family.
“I remember one morning going to the children’s hospital with Ryan, seeing the nurses, then making my way over to the other side of the hospital to see Mark.
“I just thought that this was my life from now on.”
Despite being discharged from UHW, Mark suffered a brain aneurysm a week before Christmas Day in 2014 and needed emergency brain surgery on New Year’s Eve.
“He hadn’t long returned home from hospital when it happened,” Sam said.
“I remember telling my husband he had to fight to stay alive so he could see our child grow up.
“Luckily he was back home again within a week or so but since then he three suffers a lot with anxiety and doesn’t really leave the house.
“He still struggles with his speech, but I am incredibly fortunate that both my husband and son are still here with me. “Ryan has memory problems as a result of his treatment and now has a care plan at his school but I am so thankful to the NHS staff that he’s here.
“It has been a horrible few years, but we are still a family.”
She said the support from friends and family, the mystery bone marrow donor, as well as “amazing” doctors in London pulled her
I am incredibly fortunate that both my husband and son are still here with me
the Cardiff and through.
“Ryan still attends both hospitals for bloods, treatment and regular checkups. He also suffers from a heart defect known as partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, which could require surgery later on in life.
“But Ryan is loved by lots of people – and he is always smiling, no matter what.”