Just watch me grow, Mummy
then he was gone. Jonathan went with Vinnie and I was rushed to surgery as my placenta wouldn’t come out. I was bleeding loads and thought that might be the last time I ever saw them both.
“When I saw Vinnie properly two days later, he didn’t look at all like a normal baby as his skin was sticky and see-through but I still loved him so much.’’
Vinnie was a day old when he was diagnosed with two bleeds on his brain and a hole in his heart. The family were offered a medical trial to address his heart issues, which they accepted.
Finally, after a fortnight, Katie and Jonathan, a self-employed blind fitter, could have skin-on-skin contact with their son.
Katie said his medication seems to have helped and the brain bleeds have gone over time.
“After months on ventilators and breathing machines Vinnie was finally weaned off the help and managed to breathe on his own.”
As he became stronger, Vinnie was transferred to St James Hospital where he even progressed into sleeping in a normal cot and learnt how to feed from a bottle, before being discharged. Katie said: “He’s not on any oxygen at all now. He feeds normally without any help or tubes.
“We’ve got so much time to talk to him and be with him all day, every day and just be his parents. Even just being able to put a little outfit on him feels so special.
“His feet are no longer 50p size either and he’s much bigger than his dad’s watch now.
“He’s getting chunkier by the day and now weighs 6lb 12oz. We’re so proud of how far he’s come.’’