Awareness For Kody - Brooke Saunders
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Awareness For Kody
July 3rd 2016, my 3rd baby Kody was born. Kody was born at 27 weeks plus one day gestation due to me suffering with pre eclampsia for the 2nd time, he weighed 1lb 10oz.
My first baby was born full term and healthy.
My second baby was born at 33 weeks gestation due to me suffering with pre eclampsia. At the time I had never heard of pre eclampsia, the experience of having a premature baby, via a cesarean section and spending time in the neonatal unit was terrifying, I couldn’t bond with my daughter. She spent 7 weeks in the neonatal unit needing to be tube fed. She’s now a healthy 9 year old.
When Kody was born I naively thought his journey in the neonatal unit would be similar to his sisters. But it was far from it. Kody could not breath on his own, he was tried on numerous breathing support but his lungs were too undeveloped. Kody managed to go from intensive care to the high dependency unit on a handful of times but always ended up back in intensive care. On more than one occasion we was told Kody might not make it.
Kody was given steroid injections twice to try to help mature his lungs.
Kody was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital to see if there was an underlying condition as to why he needed so much help breathing, but there wasn’t. Kodys lungs were severely undeveloped, they were ‘on the worst end of the worst scale’.
At 4 months old, Kody was transferred to a heart and lung specialist hospital, the doctors weren’t sure if Kody would make the journey, so we were blue lighted to the hospital.
Kody started suffering with pulmonary hypertension, his lungs were putting pressure on his heart. Kody was then also hooked up to a nitric oxide machine which was to help dilate the blood vessels in Kodys lungs. Kody spent most of his time now muscle relaxed and sedated, I barely got to hold him. At 5 months old Kody had a tracheostomy, in hope he’d eventually come home and be able to have a bit more freedom. Kody continued to need a lot of breathing support, when the breathing support was reduced Kody would struggle and deteriorate.
In the middle of January 2017, Kody had a good two weeks, he was put on methadone as he was having withdrawal symptoms from the doctors trying to get him off his other medications and the doctors were reducing his breathing support. At the end of January, Kody was in a bad way, we was told the kindest thing to do would be to let him ‘die with dignity’. Kodys organs began to shut down and on February 4th 2017 at 10.43pm Kodys heart stopped beating, and our world changed forever.
To raise awareness of pre eclampsia I share Kodys story wherever I can.
I tell people about mine and my children’s journeys so people know how different pre eclampsia can be each time.
I have shared Kodys story in a few newspapers and magazines.
I have taken biscuit tins and biscuits to various places, such as hospitals, in Kodys name and shared his journey.
I have wrote Kodys journey and placed a booklet of it at various hospitals.
On Kodys 5th birthday and Kodys 4th birthday I asked a few ‘small businesses’ to share Kodys story, with the signs and symptoms of pre eclampsia, with a giveaway.
I also share information of various social media platforms. Such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat & TikTok, AwarenessForKody.
Please look up pre eclampsia, recognise the signs and symptoms, talk about pre eclampsia, educate yourself and others, raise awareness of this horrible condition, you could save a life.
Bio:
Brooke Saunders is a mum of four, three of which were born prematurely due to pre eclampsia. Brooke tries to raise awareness where she can of pre eclampsia in memory of her son.
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