NNU Patient Stories – Nandi

“We had a lovely pregnancy and beautiful calm birth and everything was well initially. However within 12 hours of Nandi being born, she was rushed to the neonatal ward as her oxygen levels were not coming up.

Over the next 2 months, the doctors battled to try and keep her oxygen levels to a satisfactory level until it was decided that she would require open heart surgery as she was born with a hole in her heart, known as an atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD).

She was transferred by ambulance to Southampton General Hospital to have open heart surgery. Following the surgery and initial one week of recovery, we returned to MKUH NNU for a further three weeks until we were finally able to go home as a family of three.

Our daughter was postnatally diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome and heart defects can be common. All of this was new to us and it was overwhelming at times. however both myself and my husband (and of course our daughter) received the most amazing care from the wonderful nurses on the ward.

We were not hospital people – I even had a homebirth to avoid the hospital – however the nurses showed us true compassion and care. So much so, that we now visit the ward frequently with Nandi to remind them what their amazing hard work yields.”