Welcoming a beautiful new baby is something future parents look forward to. However, when your newborn can’t breathe, that much-anticipated arrival can very quickly turn terrifying. As soon as Maeve was born, she needed to be rushed an hour from her local hospital in Sarnia to receive care within the paediatric critical care unit at LHSC Children's Hospital in London.
To make matters scarier, Maeve and her dad had to leave mom behind, as she was still recovering from a c-section. Neither parent could hold their daughter for a week and, even two months later, had to ensure she was always on her tummy to reduce the risk of choking.
Due to the complex symptoms of Pierre Robin Sequence, the Bickle-Lila’s baby girl would need to undergo several surgeries, which resulted in their three-month stay at RMHC-SWO. This meant that Maeve spent her first Christmas in hospital and that her mom and dad spent nearly 100 nights and ate approximately 500 meals alongside their fellow RMHC families.
Despite significant barriers the family faced, and will continue to face, when reflecting upon Maeve’s first months of life, the feeling they focus on is gratitude.
Thank you for everything you do. Thank you for the rooms, the meals and the family. Thank you for keeping our bellies full, our hair cut, our needs fulfilled and heart full. Thank you for giving us the gift of being able to stay minutes away from our daughter and allowing us to be parents rather than strangers to her.
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