~Our Story~

Bradley’s story began in March 2002 what we thought was going to be a normal day ending up being far from that.

Going to our  20 week scan thinking just another routine visit. That all changed  when the doctor said the words Hypoplastic left Heart Syndrome we had never heard of this before they couldn’t tell us much about it but enough to know that we would be relocating to Melbourne for 6 months.

Dr Brain Edis flew over from Melbourne to talk to us to give us our three options termination, compassionate care or surgery. The surgeries consisted of, one at 5 days old one at 3 months and one between 3 and 5 years of age. But we already knew that we would take the 1% survival chance which was given to us by the Royal Hobart Hospital Doctors and go to Melbourne.

The next few months were go go go for us we had to put all of our things into storage, give up our house and move in with my parents for a few months Graeme had to leave his job and of course we had to take Cameron away from his family (Only 11 months of age when we left).

We Got on the boat at Devonport  when I was 36 weeks they wanted us there 4 weeks before Bradley was due just in case he came early, but he was right on time.

Bradley was born at the Royal Woman’s Hospital on the 24^th of July 2002 at 10.40pm and although a little blue was breathing really well so they decided not to transfer him till 9am the next morning when he went to the Royal Children’s Hospital.

We had time for cuddle before they took him Graeme went with him but I had to stay in hospital.  I checked myself out not long after they left.

Day one on 7 west went fine Doctors all around him, but Bradley was very stable.

Day two Bradley wasn’t as good he had a swollen liver and not breathing too well so the Doctors decided that Bradley would need to go to ICU. Bradley was put onto a ventilator and stayed like that till his first stage still not knowing what was wrong with his stomach.

31^st July Bradley went for his first stage after talking with Christian Brizard, the surgeon we knew our little boy was in good hands. Bradley was only in surgery for 5 hours and all went well with no problems

After a few days the Doctors had noticed that Bradley’s stomach was still swollen after doing more tests it was agreed by all that Bradley had Neck. He was put on a course of antibiotics for 10 days and taken off his milk, after 10 day had past not much had changed so another 5 days without his milk.  By now Bradley was looking very skinny. A few days past and there was a real turn around for Bradley he started gaining weight and he has never looked back.

After a few days on the ward Bradley decided he didn’t need his central line anymore and pulled it out, but the Doctors decided other wise and took him back to surgery to put in another one, and this time a lot more secure.

Bradley gained a lot of weight between his first and second stage they had to cut out all of his calories and keep a close eye on his weight gain as we was gaining over 100grames per day.

In October our other son Cameron who at the time was 15 months was taken into emergency with symptoms of a gastro virus well we wish that is what it was, Cameron had intersursepion of the bowel in other words it had turned itself inside out. Very serious and very painful, the Doctor said surgery, and I just cried I could not handle both my boys’ sick in hospital but lucky for us my mum and dad were staying there with us they had been there since before Bradley was born an stayed till the end and that was great support for Graeme and I.

It ended up that Cameron didn’t need surgery because they got to it early a gas enema and 2 nights in hospital was all he needed.  They gave Cameron a bed on 7 west next to Bradley which was great for us.

Late September we took the morning off from the Hospital and took Cameron to the Aquarium we were there for a little while when we got a phone call from one of the nurses we think you should come in to the hospital Bradley’s not well and he has been moved into a room with a monitor. We rushed in not knowing what we were going to find when we got there. We walked onto the ward to find Bradley hooked up to a monitor laughing and playing with the nurses. We swear he was sick, he was unwell if you had of seen him 10 minutes ago they said.  He was fine just wanted some attention!

29^th October Bradley got ready for his second stage we were a lot more relaxed this time around but still very nervous, it went so fast this time we got on the tram outside the hospital and went to the Victorian markets, we weren’t there long when we got a phone call saying it was all over and Bradley was fine we could see him in ICU in about ½ an hour.  We couldn’t get back soon enough we got back to the hospital before Bradley was back in ICU.

When we got to see him he just didn’t look right and within a few minutes his oxygen levels dropped a lot they were in the low 30's so they decided to put an oxygen box on his head so they could control the level of oxygen he was receiving.

The morning after Bradley’s surgery we went in early to find Bradley sitting up in bed watching a video of the wiggles.

So up to the ward we went. He only had a day and a half in ICU after the second stage, we couldn’t believe has quickly he recovered.

1^st November Bradley started eating solids. Apples and peaches.

4 days after Bradley’s surgery we took him to accommodation in St Kilda, and on the weekend we got back on the boat and took our new family home to Hobart.

Since we have been home we have had no problems with Bradley we have had a check-up with Dr Brian Edis and he had taken Bradley off his normal formula and put him on Pura light start milk as he is on a diet.

At 7 months Bradley started to crawl, he is saying a few words (Dad, Bub, he has said Mum about three times) he is very cheeky forever sticking out his tongue, blowing raspberries.  He has 7 teeth and we couldn’t be happier with his development, but he wouldn’t be here without the help and support of the Doctors, nurses and support teams at the Royal Children Hospital.

Thankyou all at the Royal Children’s Hospital for giving us our miracle.