Parents tell of Ronald McDonald House Brighton's care during baby's illness

Brooks Arnold was born 15 weeks prematurely by emergency caesarean at  the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton following a high-risk pregnancy.

His mother Aaron said: “Brooks being born so premature took my husband Ben and I completely by surprise.

“One minute we were out at a family meal and the next minute we were in the back of an ambulance. 

“Brooks was delivered less than 12 hours later. It all escalated so quickly.”

Ben, Aaron and baby Brooks

Within 24 hours of being born, Brooks was in critical condition and his parents feared he would not make it through the night. 

Aaron and Ben, both 41, were offered a room at Ronald McDonald House five days after the birth.

Aaron said: “It’s free family accommodation, just over the road from the hospital, a short five-minute walk to his cot side. 

“Not having to leave him to travel over 40 minutes home gave us huge comfort, otherwise it would have been unbearable.”

At two weeks old, Brooks had to be transferred to hospital in London for a heart operation.

The Arnolds, from Lindfield, were able to bring him back to Sussex a few days later and Brooks spent another three months being cared for in the Trevor Mann Baby Unit at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. 

He was very ill during this time, suffering from many of the complications associated with his extreme prematurity.

Aaron said: “We had many anxious days when we just didn’t know what the next hour might bring. 

“We couldn’t be with him every minute of the day, so having the Ronald McDonald House meant we had somewhere to escape to. 

“We could have a moment to ourselves, make something to eat, chat with another family or get much-needed rest.”

At three and a half months old, Brooks reached what would have been full term and was transferred from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital.

Aaron said: “We continued living at the Brighton House, which had now well and truly become our ‘home away from home’. 

“I was able to get a restful night’s sleep, which meant I could spend all day with Brooks and was in a good state of mind to be as involved in his care as possible.”

Unfortunately, before the Arnolds were able to go home, Brooks was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital for emergency surgery to save his eyesight. 

After that, Brooks returned to Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital for another two months.

Brooks (3) and his parents, Aaron and Ben, October 2021

This year, Brooks is celebrating his fourth birthday.

Aaron said: “Though it felt like the longest, scariest journey of our lives – we look back at our time in the house with great fondness. 

“A lot of the memories are very difficult, but it wasn’t all that way. It was an enormous part of our journey to becoming parents.

“We will never forget what living there did for our family.”

Brooks’ story comes as Ronald McDonald House Charities hit a milestone last week, with McDonald’s having raised £100 million for the charity since 1989.