Olivia's Story

New Year’s 2017, we were welcoming in the New Year with Family and friends on the South Coast of NSW. I was 27 weeks pregnant and had been given the all clear from my obstetrician prior to Christmas so we decided to stay committed to our Christmas Holiday.

It was 8.30pm and we had just finished a BBQ Dinner and were settling in for fireworks when I realised something wasn’t right. Being my first pregnancy, there was no hesitation and we rushed to the closest hospital in Moruya. Soon after arriving things went from bad to worse. The doctor advised that both my life and the babies were at risk I was immediately prepped for theatre. I had an emergency caesarean and our baby girl Olivia was born at 10.16pm at 1086grams, soon after being taken by the NETS helicopter team to Canberra Hospital to be looked after by the specialist NICU team. I spent the night in Moruya Hospital and was transferred to Canberra the following day, to meet my baby girl for the first time.

There we were in Canberra hospital still trying to comprehend what had happened, oblivious that this could happen ‘3 months early’ our baby girl in NICU upstairs. Up until this point I was not even thinking about where I would stay as my thoughts were on our little girl Olivia and her health. It then dawned on my husband and I that we did not know where we were going to stay so we could be close to the hospital to be with Olivia, at this stage the doctors were advising we could be in Canberra for 3 months. Anxiety set in quiet quickly, already feeling like we were in this bubble of survival for our daughter, we then needed to work out where are we staying?  That afternoon a social worker called on us in the ward, we explained our situation and the Social Worker introduced us to Ronald McDonald House. It was an instant relief! A saviour! We were admitted two days later and were one level away from our little princess. We felt incredibly blessed, I don’t even like to imagine what we would have done without them. Greeted with a friendly smile, open arms we had a home away from home.

Four weeks later we were lucky enough to get a Royal Flying Doctors transfer flight for Olivia back to Brisbane. All in all Olivia had one helicopter transfer, one plane transfer, was admitted to 4 hospitals and after a total of 80 days she was finally discharged from hospital. There were many tears over many nights but fortunately now we only have tears of joy as we watch our little healthy bundle of joy grow. Ronald McDonald House considerably helped to smooth out the bumps on the already rough journey and for that we will be forever grateful.

Thank you, a grateful mum Chloe.