"Every precious ounce": Maya's story”

When Louise and her partner Louis received the devastating news about their pregnancy complications at just 30 weeks, their world turned upside down. Rushed by ambulance to Brighton Hospital from their local hospital in Hastings, they faced every parent’s nightmare – their unborn baby was dangerously small, and Louise was showing signs of pre-eclampsia. With their three-year-old son Theo in tow and their hearts racing, the situation became even more critical when Louise began bleeding just twenty minutes from the hospital. Within minutes of arrival, their tiny daughter Maya was delivered via emergency C-section, weighing a heart-wrenching 1 pound 8 ounces – smaller than a bag of sugar.

The following weeks became a blur of beeping monitors and worried consultations as Maya fought for her life in the Trevor Mann baby unit. Their precious daughter battled chronic lung disease, requiring constant breathing support, while also fighting jaundice, hypercalcemia, and metabolic bone disease. Each day brought new challenges but also tiny victories that kept hope alive.

Guest blogger: Louise

In those first overwhelming hours after Maya’s birth, when everything felt impossible, the neonatal team at Brighton Hospital mentioned Ronald McDonald House. We’d never heard of Ronald McDonald House Charities UK before, and honestly, we were too exhausted to even process what it might mean for us. But when we arrived at the House, something changed. The warmth of the welcome and the kindness in the team’s eyes as they showed my husband around – it was the first moment since this nightmare began that we felt we could breathe.

Our stay at Brighton House became so much more than just a room near the hospital. It became our sanctuary, our lifeline to normalcy in a world that had been turned upside down. We met other parents walking the same terrifying path, sharing quiet cups of tea and understanding looks that said more than words ever could. The House team wrapped our family in a blanket of support that helped us face each day, especially when our own loved ones couldn’t be near.

Our son Theo’s experience at the House still brings tears to my eyes. While we were drowning in worry about Maya, the team made sure our little boy didn’t lose his childhood to hospital corridors. They became his playmates, his friends. Clare would spend hours building elaborate race tracks with him using Jenga blocks, filling the House with his delighted giggles. Even months later, he lights up talking about the ‘McDonald’s house’ and his friends there. Those moments of joy were precious beyond measure.

When my husband had to return to work after two weeks, I was terrified of managing alone – still recovering from an emergency C-section, splitting my time between a critically ill newborn and an energetic three-year-old. But the House team became my extended family, stepping in to play with Theo while I caught my breath over a cup of tea, offering a listening ear when the weight of it all felt too heavy.

Maya’s journey tested every ounce of strength we had. Being so premature, her tiny body could only tolerate breast milk. I’ll never forget the relief when my milk came in after those anxious first days of donor milk. Every drop felt like liquid gold. Thanks to being close by, I could establish my milk supply, watching as each precious ounce helped her grow stronger. The day she moved from CPAP to Optiflow breathing support, finally letting us see her beautiful face clearly.