"The House supported us in many ways": Parker’s story

Parker was born extremely prematurely due to an infection, weighing only 950g. His parents, Megan and Richard, were offered a room in our Tooting House, which became their ‘home away from home’ for 56 nights while their baby received treatment in the hospital.

Guest blogger: Megan

On June 3 2023, I gave birth to my son Parker at Croydon University Hospital after going into early labour due to an infection at just 25 weeks pregnant. He weighed a tiny 950g and was transferred to St. George’s Hospital, London, within a couple of hours of being born.

Once I was given the all-clear to leave the hospital, I got taken straight to St. George’s, where our baby was being looked after. We were very worried that we wouldn’t have anywhere to stay near Parker, as it would have been too expensive to stay in a hotel, but everyone was so helpful, and I was given a room on the ward that night, which allowed me to be close to him until the first few checks were done. The following day, one of the amazing nurses mentioned Ronald McDonald House Tooting and helped me start the process of getting a room. I was offered a place to stay pretty much straight away and from the moment I walked in and was shown around by the lovely House Assistant, I felt welcomed. Everyone was so kind and supportive.

I wasn’t at the House much during the first few days because I didn’t want to leave my baby, fearing something might happen to him. However, I managed to go back to eat without any worries since they had everything I needed. I’m incredibly grateful for that support because I probably would have skipped many meals without it. During the first couple of days, it was touch and go. Parker had sepsis and two brain bleeds, one grade 3 and the other grade 4, as well as a clot in his brain. We still didn’t know why he was born early. He underwent numerous tests as the doctors tried to determine the cause of his premature birth.

In his first week of life, he was progressing really well. However, he then caught sepsis, which caused his condition to deteriorate rapidly, leading to him being put on CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). After five days, he began to improve, but this cycle repeated another four times in less than three weeks. We then realised he was having trouble with his bowels, so he was put on daily laxatives while they continued to search for answers. Despite numerous tests and scans, they couldn’t identify the cause. He struggled with this issue until he started eating solid foods at six months old.

It was strange how time seemed to go incredibly slowly, but fast at the same time. Just as Parker would move up to the High Dependency Unit (HDU), he would be back in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) within days. This constant back-and-forth was hard to handle, leaving me questioning why he wasn’t getting better and worrying about his future. When our son was about three weeks old, we were informed that he might have cerebral palsy due to the bleed on his brain. It was difficult to hear at first, but within a few days, it started to sink in. We began to adjust and educate ourselves about his needs to be prepared for any situation. At two months old, he was well enough to be transferred back to our local hospital, where he stayed for another three weeks before coming home on 28 August.

The House helped us in many ways, but the fact that we got to stay together and be right next to our baby was incredibly comforting. Being close to Parker, at all times, definitely helped him thrive. Skin-to-skin contact is known to be so beneficial, and I loved going to visit for an evening snuggle whenever I could. It was also nice to meet other families, share our situation, and relate to their experiences. I loved that, on special occasions, everyone made sure we felt involved, and this is exactly what people need when going through a difficult time. Leaving the House was very emotional, as I had built so many connections and it was all I knew with my new baby. It was scary thinking about what the next steps would be.

Parker is one year old now and he is an independent and intelligent little baby, exceeding all expectations. He is crawling and saying “mum”. Although he is still in physical therapy, everyone is pleased with his progress and believe that if he does have cerebral palsy, it will be very mild.