THREE families have celebrated a major milestone after their children, who all began life with serious medical concerns after being born prematurely, started school.
The parents of Arthur Bradbury, Tiger-Lily Sykes and Dulcie-Lou Beckley, all from Eastbourne, proudly waved off their four-year-olds into reception class earlier this month.
All three children spent several weeks in hospital at the beginning of their lives and their parents benefited from staying at Ronald McDonald House Brighton, which allowed them to stay close to the youngsters while they were in hospital.
After two "threatened miscarriages" at 26 weeks pregnant, Dulcie-Lou’s mum Katie Powell, a personal trainer, was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia.
Dulcie-Lou arrived two weeks later, 12 weeks early and weighing just 805g.
During her five-and-a-half-week stay on the Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU) at Royal Sussex County Hospital, Ms Powell stayed just moments away from Dulcie-Lou at Ronald McDonald House Brighton.
“I couldn’t believe how amazing the place was. It had a lovely, warm atmosphere and everyone was so friendly,” said the mum-of-two.
“Not only did the House allow me to stay close to my tiny baby, but it also enabled me to bond with other mums, including Emma, who has become a lifelong friend.
"Emma and I are now celebrating our amazing premature babies starting school – a day we feared we might never see.”
Emma Bradbury, owner and head therapist at Rebel Rebel Fitness and Treatments, gave birth to Arthur on April 1, 2018, nearly 12 weeks early.
Weighing just 2lbs, Arthur stayed on TMBU for six weeks.
Arthur has started school in the same class as another pupil who spent her first few months of life in hospital too.
“This is a huge moment,” said Ms Bradbury.
“He’s so excited and looks so grown-up in his uniform.
“A strange coincidence is that there’s a little girl in Arthur’s class, Tiger-Lily, whose family also stayed at the Ronald McDonald House around the same time as us.
“It’s so nice that after having such challenging starts in life, our little ones are thriving. They’ve come so far.”
A few weeks after she was born, Tiger-Lily was diagnosed with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), a rare condition affecting the autonomic nervous system that manages breathing.
At six weeks old, she had a tracheostomy fitted and spent the first few months of her life in hospital.
Mum Vicky Sykes said: “Staying at the Ronald McDonald House Brighton, meant I could stay with Tiger-Lily every day. When we first stepped into the House, we felt such warmth and kindness; the staff made us feel like part of the family.”
Tiger-Lily was transferred to the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, where Ms Sykes was given nearby accommodation at the Ronald McDonald House Evelina London.
She said: “Our home is 82 miles from the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, so it would have been impossible to visit daily. It was such a blessing being able to stay close.
“I know she’s going to thrive at school, as she’s done so well at everything else. There’s nothing she doesn’t do; I take her horse-riding, to festivals, and she loves playing with friends. It’s lovely that Arthur is in the same class, as the two of them had similarly difficult starts in life.
“Just look at them now.”
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