‘MY BODY ATTACKED MY OWN UNBORN CHILD IN THE WOMB’
SAM WILLIAMS had no issues with her first two pregnancies, but knew the risk increased each time, because of her partner Matt’s blood type.
Matt has rhesus (Rh) negative or universal blood type, which is great for donating blood; however, it can cause difficulties with pregnancy.
Sam and Matt have three children: Oliver, eight, Noah, three, and Arthur, who is one.
Oliver and Noah arrived smoothly, apart from Noah being born with mild jaundice, but it was when Sam was expecting Arthur that things took a turn for the worse.
At about three months’ pregnant, doctors noticed Arthur’s blood type was not the same as Sam’s and his white blood count was higher than it should be.
Sam said: “My body was trying to attack Arthur’s because it saw it as something foreign and thought that it shouldn’t be there. The doctors said he could be born severely jaundiced.”
Throughout her pregnancy, Sam was monitored by doctors and underwent ultrasound scans every fortnight.
Two and half weeks before Sam was due to give birth, she was rushed for an emergency C-section as her blood flow to the baby slowed down as well as the baby’s growth.
Arthur weighed just 5lb 9oz at birth with his bilirubin – a yellowish fluid your liver makes to help you digest food – levels causing extreme jaundice which if left too long can cause a condition called kernicterus, a type of brain damage.
He was taken to the neonatal unit where he underwent two blood transfusions and phototherapy hours after he was born.
Sam said the doctors and nurses at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales were “brilliant” and helped the family get through a really distressing time.
She said: “It was a very, very scary time and had they not caught it then he might not have been with us today.
“If they had not been there for us then we probably would have been a mess.”
Doctors have told the parents that until Arthur reaches primary school, they won’t know if his ordeal when he was born will have a longterm effect. But for now Arthur is developing normally for his age and is a “walking, talking funny little lad”, according to Matt and Sam.
The Cardiff couple have now set themselves a challenge to raise money for the hospital that saved their youngest son’s life.
But instead of taking on just one big challenge, they aim to complete 24 activities throughout 2024 to raise money for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity.
In January, both Sam and Matt ran a total of 200km and in February, Sam swam 800m and Matt completed an hour-long swim.
Throughout the year they will be completing many physical challenges, including the Cardiff Half Marathon, the Wales Marathon, Aquathlon (750m swim and 5km run), Noah’s Ark Superhero Dash and plenty more.
Not all of the activities within the 24 for 2024 are physical, with charity events also set up for the summer.
Matt and Sam’s eldest son, Oliver, will also be completing a Parkrun as part of the fundraiser.
The most challenging activity they have set themselves is a 50-mile walk of the full Taff Trail in one day, which could take around 18/19 hours to complete.
Friends and family will be supporting them along the route by meeting them at different points to cheer them on and join in the walk.
Both Sam and Matt describe themselves as being far from active people.
Matt said: “Think of the fittest people then go the opposite end of the spectrum.”
Therefore, he has begun his 16-week marathon training with a running coach as well as training in the gym and pool and working with a nutritionist.
The couple hope to raise at least £5,000 for Noah’s Ark and have already raised more than £1,600 in the first three months.
They said: “We’ve been extremely lucky with getting donations so far and it just motivates us to keep going.”