Last Sunday me and my wife lost our gorgeous 8 week old daughter, Ivy, to a brain tumor.
She had been for her 6 week scan a few weeks ago and the doctor noted that her head was above the average size, and asked for us to go back the week after to re-check it. So 2 Tuesday's ago we took her back and her head circumference had grown 3cm so we were told to go to the children's hospital. We feared it may have just been a build up of water which would have been able to be rectified with a drain inserted into the back of her head. We went for a CT scan with her and the results came back that she had a brain tumor, which pretty much covered half of her brain.
She went in for the operation the morning after and only just made it through, having to have CPR for a few minutes afterwards.
It got to Friday and the conversation was had to cease her life support as IF she even got through the recovery, her quality of life would be minimal, and the tumor WOULD eventually get her. She had started having seizures and was sedated and pumped full of different drugs to try and stabilize these. Her breathing support was removed Friday evening, but she continued breathing on her own, though still heavily sedated and being given the anti-seizure drugs.
We were moved to Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice Friday night once her breathing support was removed to be able to spend whatever time we had left with her in a more comfortable atmosphere, without all the tubes and machines. She literally had 1 tube which was providing her with the needed drugs to keep her comfortable, in a portable unit which meant we could give her cuddles and actually move around with her, which we had not been able to do for days. Sunday morning we were given a pram so we could take her outside, and jumped at the chance to try and do something "normal"
After a lovely walk around the grounds we went back to our room and laid back in bed, at which point our little princess decided it was time to finally go to sleep.
We cannot thank the hospice enough for what they gave us in those last few days, they gave us the opportunity to actually hold our daughter and the staff there were so helpful, and continue to be so.
We have set up a just-giving page to raise money for the hospice, as it is only 10% government funded. It is awful that a place like this NEEDS to exist, but we are so glad it does, as we managed to say goodbye to our little girl and a calm and peaceful environment.
We have had a fantastic response by friends and family sharing this around social media, but after speaking to the mods, they have allowed me to also post it up on here to try and reach as many people as we can.
Ivy's funeral is this Friday and we are trying to raise as much as we can for the hospice before then. Ivy is currently still at bluebell wood, where we have an adjoining room which we can go and stay at anytime we want, which again, is invaluable.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Gary-Morris18241
http://www.bluebellwood.org/
Thank you in advance for anyone kind enough to donate and / or share this story and just giving page, and thank you to the mods for allowing this
She had been for her 6 week scan a few weeks ago and the doctor noted that her head was above the average size, and asked for us to go back the week after to re-check it. So 2 Tuesday's ago we took her back and her head circumference had grown 3cm so we were told to go to the children's hospital. We feared it may have just been a build up of water which would have been able to be rectified with a drain inserted into the back of her head. We went for a CT scan with her and the results came back that she had a brain tumor, which pretty much covered half of her brain.
She went in for the operation the morning after and only just made it through, having to have CPR for a few minutes afterwards.
It got to Friday and the conversation was had to cease her life support as IF she even got through the recovery, her quality of life would be minimal, and the tumor WOULD eventually get her. She had started having seizures and was sedated and pumped full of different drugs to try and stabilize these. Her breathing support was removed Friday evening, but she continued breathing on her own, though still heavily sedated and being given the anti-seizure drugs.
We were moved to Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice Friday night once her breathing support was removed to be able to spend whatever time we had left with her in a more comfortable atmosphere, without all the tubes and machines. She literally had 1 tube which was providing her with the needed drugs to keep her comfortable, in a portable unit which meant we could give her cuddles and actually move around with her, which we had not been able to do for days. Sunday morning we were given a pram so we could take her outside, and jumped at the chance to try and do something "normal"
After a lovely walk around the grounds we went back to our room and laid back in bed, at which point our little princess decided it was time to finally go to sleep.
We cannot thank the hospice enough for what they gave us in those last few days, they gave us the opportunity to actually hold our daughter and the staff there were so helpful, and continue to be so.
We have set up a just-giving page to raise money for the hospice, as it is only 10% government funded. It is awful that a place like this NEEDS to exist, but we are so glad it does, as we managed to say goodbye to our little girl and a calm and peaceful environment.
We have had a fantastic response by friends and family sharing this around social media, but after speaking to the mods, they have allowed me to also post it up on here to try and reach as many people as we can.
Ivy's funeral is this Friday and we are trying to raise as much as we can for the hospice before then. Ivy is currently still at bluebell wood, where we have an adjoining room which we can go and stay at anytime we want, which again, is invaluable.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Gary-Morris18241
http://www.bluebellwood.org/
Thank you in advance for anyone kind enough to donate and / or share this story and just giving page, and thank you to the mods for allowing this
