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Home / Northern Advocate

Guest Editorial: Help was there when needed most

By Rebecca Gray
Northern Advocate·
18 Dec, 2011 09:25 PM2 mins to read

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I was 32 weeks and six days' pregnant and I was scared I was losing my baby. I met my midwife in Kawakawa and she rushed me to Whangarei Hospital. Right then I knew it was something serious. After arriving at Whangarei, I was given steroids in case my son came early.

I was then sent for a scan and they found he was breeched. After the scan, I was sent back upstairs to the delivery suite. The midwife checked me over then got the doctor in and my fear became reality. I was told that I was to have an emergency c-section.

I said: "if it's to save his life I'm ready for it". I was so afraid. In the theatre my partner was by my side and at 2.03pm Brosnan Hadleigh Te Mahara Hone Tana was born, weighing in at 1925 grams. Both he and his dad went up to SCBU or the Special Care Baby Unit where Brosnan was put onto the c-pap because he couldn't stabilise then he got transferred to Auckland's Neonatal Intensive Care unit on November 18. He was given such good care that four days after being down in Auckland we got to come home to Whangarei. We were greeted with open, warm arms saying welcome back home. It's been a long journey from machines until we get to go home.

I would like to thank all those who took care of me and a special thanks to everyone in Auckland's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and SCBU for all the love, care and support that you gave our son and us. And a special thanks to Fulton Hogan for their support. We will never forget you Brosnan, Rebecca and Marshall.

Taking our baby home to his family is the best Christmas present our family could ask for.

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