A brave mum whose ‘little fighter’ spent time on Grimsby’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has published a moving and heartfelt account of the first three months of his life to raise money for Neonatal care.
Mum-of-three Charlotte Robinson was rushed to the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby from Airedale after being diagnosed with pre-eclampsia when she was 28 weeks pregnant.
Although it was more than 100 miles away from their home, our NICU unit was the closest Level 3 Neonatal Unit – which can care for babies born before 32 weeks – which had an available bed.
Charlotte and her husband, Dave, were blue-lighted over to Grimsby by ambulance and, that night, tiny Theodore was born – 12 weeks early and weighing just 2lb and 11oz.
Charlotte’s book – Three Months of Hope – is a frank and often heartbreaking account of how they, Theodore, and their family and friends negotiated the roller-coaster of the next three months.
Over the course of that time, little Theodore had to undergo three major bowel surgeries and heart surgery – more than many of us experience in a lifetime.
And now he is a beautiful, boisterous, two-year-old and Charlotte felt the time was now right to share their experience to help others in their position.
Charlotte said: “When we finally brought Theodore home, I remember saying that one day I wanted to write a book about our journey.
“At the time, I believed I was coping. I told myself we had simply done what any parent would do – we survived, we carried on and we looked forward. But trauma has a way of staying with you, even when life moves on.
“It’s taken me two years to find the emotional strength to write this book. For the first time I have truly allowed myself to talk about what happened, to acknowledge how deeply it affected me and to accept that it’s okay to carry those emotions.”
Speaking of their time in the Grimsby NICU unit – where Theodore spent the first two weeks of his life, before being transferred into the care of the Neonatal Surgeons Leeds General Infirmary – she said: “The nurses and doctors were extraordinary. In the middle of what felt like a nightmare, they remained clam, compassionate and endlessly patient.
“They took the time to explain every monitor, every beep, every alarm, helping us to understand what all the unfamiliar sounds meant.
“Their reassurance didn’t take away our fear, but it gave us something we desperately needed in those early days – a little understanding and a reason for hope.
“I will always be so grateful to the team in Grimsby. It’s a lovely little unit and it’s where Theodore was born, where we had our first cuddle, and where he met his older sister and brother, Lucy and Ellis.”
Charlotte has generously donated a copy of the book to the Grimsby Neonatal unit, sharing a story of hope that parents going through a similar journey can relate to.
She said: “I hope that for parents reading this while still living their own neonatal journey, it brings you comfort and reminds you that you are not alone – even on the days when it feels like the world has stopped around you.
“Your story won’t be the same as ours. Every baby, every family, and every journey is different. But one thing I know for certain is this; you are stronger than you think. You will discover a resilience you never knew you had, and your love for your child will carry you through moments you once believed were impossible.”
You can purchase copies of Three Months of Hope from Amazon UK, where it is available in paperback, hard back and on Kindle.
All profits will be donated to neonatal care units which cared for Theodore.
