A mum has shared her joy after taking her six-month old baby girl home for the first time.
Hope Fry was born prematurely, weighing just 461 grams, on July 30. At just 23 weeks old, she arrived into the world alongside her her twin sister, Faith.
Tragically, Faith passed away and now, after spending 153 days in Glasgow Children’s Hospital, Hope has finally arrived home to her parents Katie and John in Renfrew.
Speaking to the Record about her traumatic birth, Katie, 27, said: Everything happened so quickly and it was such a blur. We were surrounded by doctors, nurses and consultants. I was in so much shock.
“You never expect to have to give birth at 23 weeks.”
Initially, Hope was doing well. She was fed through a tube whilst in an incubator. However, disaster struck when she was five days old and her condition worsened.
The tot’s heart rate began to drop and she required resuscitation. It was later discovered that she had a brain bleed and a perforated bowel requiring emergency surgery.
“It was touch and go at some points”, said Katie.
Despite the challenges, Hope recovered from the surgery but faced ongoing health issues, including low oxygen levels, difficulty gaining weight, and the need for additional surgery.
Describing the whole situation as a “rollercoaster ride”, Katie praised the staff at the kids hospital in Glasgow. She said: “The medical staff saved our baby girl time and time again.
“The staff were amazing, you could not get better people. The doctors and nurses were so attentive and made sure we were eating and sleeping. They encouraged us to get out of the hospital for a while too, as it is such a daunting place, especially when your baby is so sick.”
The family had hoped to be home for Christmas but Hope wasn’t quite ready in time. Katie added: “The staff allowed us to stay overnight on Christmas Eve. Santa visited the wards, and we all woke up together on the 25th. It was really lovely.
“Then, on December 30, we got the all-clear to go home.”
The new-parents are looking forward to their new year and watching their baby girl grow up as they praise her fighting spirit for helping them get through the tough times.
Katie said: “Hope got us through the heartbreak of losing Fait and we wouldn’t have survived it if it wasn’t for her. We will deal with her sister’s loss every day and I don’t think we’ll ever fully get over it. But we’re taking every day as it comes and you start to learn to live with the circumstances.
“I just Hope lives a good life and she’s happy. I know she’ll probably always have some problems, but I just strive for her to be happy.”
Senior Staff Nurse at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) said: “We are all absolutely delighted to see Hope finally getting home with her family. Looking after Hope and her family was a privilege, and we will miss seeing little Hope’s smiley face on our neonatal unit. As a team we are all dedicated to ensuring that parents are cared for as much as our babies.
“Hope is settling in well at home and Katie and John have promised to keep in touch and we are all looking forward to seeing her progress.
“NICU is a place where miracles really do happen!”
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