Cora Smyth

Hi my name is Cora, In Aug 2007 i found out that i was pregnant with my third child, me and my husband were delighted and couldn't wait to tell our oldest boy as he kept asking for another brother or sister. My pregnancy went well apart from a few wee things, but nothing to worry about. Then on the 8th of March i went into early labour about 3 1/2 weeks. I had to have an emergency c section as my baby was lying breach. When Darrach was born he was very grey looking and the doctors took him away straight away as he needed oxygen. My husband left me when he knew that i was ok to go and find our baby. When he found the doctors they told him that Darrach had Downs and that most babies born with Downs have heart problems. My husband then had to come and tell me what the doctor had told him, when he told me i just said that it just made him even more special, we were blessed. Then he told me about his little heart but i thought he will be ok, its probably a murmmer and it will sort its self out, how wrong was I . Darrach had a severe heart problem called Tetrilogy of fallots and he needed surgury as soon as possible. He only weighed 5lb 1oz so they needed him to gain weight. After 13 days Darrach had his first shunt fitted and after another two weeks in hospital Darrach was allowed home. That was such a happy day. Darrach was home for seven weeks and we noticed that he wasn't taking his feeds very well and was getting sick, so we took him back to hospital. They admitted him and he went to icu he had pneumonia. Darrach spent one month in icu and the doctors told us not to leave him as they didn't know if he would make it, It was a very scary time but Darrach fought hard. He was then moved to a ward were he stayed for a further six weeks, then his doctor wanted to do a heart cath on him, usually the babies go back to the ward after a heart cath, but not Darrach he was really ill and the doctors couldn't keep his blood pressure up. Darrach had to have emergancy surgery to have another shunt fitted to allow the blood to flow to his lungs, the doctors didn't know if he would make it, but Darrach fought hard again and came through the surgery. After a week in icu Darrach was back on the ward and doing well. Then in September we got him home after a long 4 1/2 mths. But that was short lived and after a few days Darrach was back. His doctor decided that Darrach needed his full repair soon and on the 27th of Oct Darrch had his surgery, it went well and the doctor and surgeon were very happy. So the next day Darrach was moved back over to icu in the children hospital. He was only back 1/2 hour when he had a cardiac arrest that lasted 40 mins, I thought that we had lost him. But Darrach fought again. After that i had convinced myself that my little boy was going nowhere and that he was here to stay. Unfortunatly his kidney's stopped working and he had to have dyalis, i have never prayed so hard for pee in all my life. Darrach had a week of stability but the doctors had warned us that Darrach was on a knifes edge but if he continued to have stable days and nights he had a change. Then on the Mon Daraach got pneumonia again. We thought that he could fight it like he had done before. In the early hours of Tue morning the nurse came and knocked the door of our bedroom in icu to say Darrach wasn't doing very well and that they couldn't keep his blood pressure up. They had increased his adrenaline but it wasn't working so they started to give him shots of adrenaline but still it made no difference. Darrach had everything there was to give but nothing was helping, his little body had become immuned to the adrenaline and all the other drugs given to him. The doctors told us there was nothing left to give him and that we probably had an hour or two with Darrach, but i still couldn't beleive it he was such a wee fighter i just kept thinking that things would change any minute, but that didn't happen Darrach fell asleep in my arms. That was the worst day of my life. Darrach was so loved and so wanted. I wanted him more than anything else in the world. He fought so hard he deserved a change, why is life so cruel and unfair. All the nurses and doctors loved him they all knew him so well. Darrach spent six mths of his little life in hospital but i know that he got so much love there, he had the nurses wrapped round his little finger. He was such a special wee man and i know one day that i will hold him in my arms again and i will never let him go. That will be the happiest day of my life.