“We very quickly learned not to think beyond one day at a time” – Luke’s battle and Christmas miracle
Two weeks ago, seven-month-old Luke Harty switched on the Christmas lights at CHI (Children’s Health Ireland), Temple Street.It was a day his Galway-based parents Nicola and Robert Harty could not have dreamed of. “We very quickly learned not to think beyond one day at a time,” says mum of two Nicola, recalling “the darkest days” after Luke’s birth last May.
“I’d had a perfect pregnancy, perfect scans, a beautiful delivery, and the labor went great. Luke arrived at 36 weeks and was brought to NICU to be on the safe side.”
But he started having seizures – within a day and a half of his arrival he was transferred by ambulance from Galway to Temple Street for MRI.
“It was another 24 hours before we sat down wiht doctors, and the lead neurologist said Luke had a really rare condition – one part of his brain had grown too big, it was malformed and causing seizures.
“Nothing – no medicine – could stop these seizures. We only had one option – removal of the right hemisphere of his brain.”
Nicola describes feeling utter shock. “I’d given birth just three days earlier. We were in Dublin, our daughter, Robyn, in Galway – being told they’re going to remove half his brain.
“It was like standing, looking at ourselves from above, like we were physically crumbling, falling to the floor. We were just shattered.
“The doctor said, ‘You’ll be here a year minimum’. That’s all I could hear for weeks afterwards.We were told he’d have weakness in the left side of his body after surgery. They couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t still have seizures. I felt hopeless, that we wouldn’t be able for this.”
With doctors envisaging Luke would not be strong enough for surgery until he was six to eight months old, Nicola found the next weeks “really tricky and hard”, trying to process everything. And yet, even on the hardest days, an image persisted that had first come to her within a week of Luke’s birth – of a little boy running around with Robyn on thier farm in ardrahan, Co Galway.
Despite the timeline doctors gave for surgery, Nicola still wondered about the earliest it might very well be carried out.
“We just wanted it done,” she says.
The couple had been told Luke might never breastfeed or feed orally. “I’d been pumping breastmilk from the b
The Gift of Home for Christmas
This Christmas holds a especially special meaning for families across Ireland, as some little ones prepare to experience the joy of being home for the first time.For Robert and Nicola Harty from Galway, this year’s celebration will be filled with extra gratitude as their son, Luke, gets ready to spend his first Christmas at home.”I just see Christmas calm, together, united – us and our two children – full of love,” says Nicola. “Presents have generally never mattered – now they really don’t.”
For Colleen and Toby Smith from Co Cavan, last Christmas was a time of hopeful anticipation. They had expected to bring their than 10-month-old daughter, Aoife, home for a few precious hours on Christmas Day. Though, Aoife’s journey had been fraught with challenges as she was just two days old, requiring surgery to correct a rare twisting of her small bowel.
“It was just bad luck,” explains Colleen, recalling the numerous genetic tests that yielded no answers.Aoife spent 19 months in CHI,crumlin,battling complications and relying on intravenously-delivered nutrition (TPN) before slowly being weaned off it.Progress was often slow, with setbacks from even minor illnesses.
Last year’s planned homecoming was ultimately thwarted when Aoife contracted the flu. “It was just me and me in the hospital for the day,” Colleen remembers sadly. The family continued their cherished tradition of spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Colleen’s mother’s house, a tradition that holds a special place in their hearts.
This year, however, is different. Aoife is finally home, and the family is excitedly preparing for her first Christmas surrounded by loved ones. Aoife is even helping to decorate the tree, a symbol of the joy and hope that fills their home this Christmas season.
Premature Baby gabriella Home for Christmas After 103 Days in NICU
Sophie Hendrick and her partner david Mahon are celebrating a particularly special Christmas this year, with their daughter Gabriella home in time for the holidays after a challenging start to life. Gabriella was born 15 weeks prematurely, weighing just 505g, and spent 103 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Coombe hospital in Dublin.
Sophie’s pregnancy was complex by a subchorionic haematoma – bleeding between the baby’s amniotic sac and the uterine wall.Initially, doctors expected the condition to resolve on its own. Though, Sophie soon went into labour and delivered Gabriella early.
“I checked and it was blood,” Sophie recounted in an interview with the Irish Examiner. “They kept me in for a week and a half for bed rest. I kept bleeding during that time. I had scans to make sure the baby was OK and everything was fine with her.” https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/lifeandstyle/health/miracle-baby-gabriella-home-for-christmas-after-103-days-in-nicu-4094648
The NICU journey was demanding, but Sophie found strength in pumping breastmilk for Gabriella. “I could see she was growing, she never got any infection and was really strong, so I felt I was doing something for her. And as much as everyone’s lovely in NICU, I just wanted to get her home,” she said.
There were setbacks along the way. Just as Gabriella was preparing to be discharged, she contracted croup, a respiratory infection that temporarily halted her progress. “She almost stopped breathing. That was a setback – we felt like we were never going to escape,” Sophie explained.
Fortunately, Gabriella recovered and was able to return home in time for Christmas. Now six months old, she is thriving, sleeping through the night and enjoying life with her family.
Sophie describes Gabriella as “a miracle,” a sentiment deeply connected to her own personal history. Having lost her mother at the age of 11 and grown up without siblings, Sophie cherishes the importance of family. She also has another daughter, Emilia, who eagerly included baby gifts for Gabriella on her Santa list, ensuring her little sister wouldn’t be left out.
“Christmas is about family,and family means a lot to me,” Sophie said. “You try to give your kids what you never got. My mam and I were best friends. Having two girls of my own now, they’ll be my best friends.”
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