Emma was almost 30 weeks pregnant when she began experiencing painful cramps that continued to get worse over a few hours. When there was no improvement, Emma and her husband, Kenny, went to their local hospital in New Brunswick to find out why she felt so unwell.
It was determined that Emma was having contractions. Because it was too soon to have her baby, she was given medication to try and delay the labour. Unfortunately, Emma went into labour two days later and would need an emergency C-section. The baby was in a breech position, which meant her baby’s bottom was positioned to come out first during birth rather than the head.
When their daughter, Ellie, was born, she weighed only 2.9 pounds. She was immediately rushed from the delivery room to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for urgent medical care.
“It was a very stressful and uncertain time,” shares Emma. “Shortly after I gave birth, I was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I had developed a severe case of pneumonia and was intubated and placed on a ventilator to help me breathe.”
Just when Emma and her husband, Kenny, thought things couldn’t get worse, Ellie’s care team discovered she had a hole in her bowel—an extremely serious medical condition. Without urgent care, a hole in the bowel can cause internal bleeding, sepsis, and other life-threatening complications.
Ellie needed surgery immediately, but the IWK was the best place for her to go to have the procedure. The IWK could provide her with the highest level of care needed for the best possible outcome.
They sent Ellie by plane to Halifax and transported her from the airport by ambulance to the IWK. There, a team was ready to take her to surgery. Fortunately, her dad was by her side and with her every step of the way. Emma was still in the ICU with pneumonia and unable to be with her family.
“I was absolutely terrified at the possibility of never getting to hold or meet my precious baby girl,” shared Emma.
Ellie’s surgery was successful, and she was transferred to the IWK’s NICU for recovery. Because the NICU has private rooms for families with a space to sleep and shower, Ellie’s dad could stay with her—day and night.
Ten days after Ellie was born, Emma was released from the hospital. She could finally travel from New Brunswick to the IWK to meet her daughter for the very first time. “It was a moment I’ll never forget,” said Emma. “It filled me with so much joy and gratitude that I cried uncontrollably.”
Unfortunately, almost a month after Ellie’s surgery, while still in the NICU, Emma and Kenny noticed that Ellie suddenly didn’t seem her usual happy and energetic self. She appeared very tired and in some discomfort. “Being able to stay with her in the NICU helped us notice a change in her health right away and led us to alert her care team,” shared Kenny.
It was discovered that Ellie had an infection and would need to go on IV antibiotics for two weeks. This meant the family would need to spend their first holiday together at the IWK. Although it was hard news to hear, they knew Ellie was where she needed to be to get better—the IWK.
On December 29, the family finally returned home to New Brunswick.
Today, Ellie continues to thrive, and the family looks forward to spending their first holiday at home together this December.
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This holiday season, you can bring hope to other Maritime families who may be facing some of the hardest days of their lives. Please take a moment today to donate to the IWK. You’ll be helping IWK patients like Ellie get the very best care.
