I took Joe to A&E on 25th Feb 2023 as something told me he wasn’t acting as you would expect a two week old to act. His cries were more like squeals of pain, and although he continued to take his bottles, he wasn’t waking up for feeds and was extremely sleepy all day and night.
To most people, a sleeping newborn is a dream, but something just wasn’t right. As soon as we got to A&E, Joe was taken from my arms, and this is the side of things that people may not always think about which is why raising money is so important to help research meningitis. They tried over 4 times to insert a cannula, they took him to another room, suddenly you must put all your trust into the medical professionals to help save your baby and I’m so grateful with how Frimley Park Hospital kept me updated and supported through each step.
Joe had to have lumbar puncture, which was extremely distressing for us to watch, and for him to have – he was then diagnosed with meningitis and sepsis. After what felt like forever, living in a hospital; being woken up every 15 minutes so the nurses could check his vitals, tonnes of blood tests, a constant drip of multiple antibiotics, scans, oxygen checks etc, all whilst our 14-month-old was at home trying to understand where his Mum and baby brother had gone, we were eventually told Joe was showing signs of fighting this and was on the mend.
I have an amazing, supportive family who were all able to help us look after Jackson (our first son), and allow us to navigate living in a hospital focusing on Joe’s recovery. I will never forget the day they told me we could go home, I fell to the floor in tears and I knew immediately, that some families are not so lucky to be able to leave the hospital with their loved ones. This is why it’s so important for me to raise awareness of meningitis in the hope that scientists can find a cure, treatment and preventatives of this happening to any family. ❤
