Wyatt, Max

[left:f03b610a30]http://www.cherubs-cdh.org/Album/new/wyatt2.jpg[/left:f03b610a30]My name is Rachel. My first son Harry was born in October 1997 a normal healthy baby. It was a great shock to discover at 32 weeks pregnant with my second child, that there was a problem. My GP had referred me for an extra ultrasound scan at 30 weeks because I was too big for my dates. Nothing seemed wrong except that my baby was big. I was asked to return in two weeks. At the next scan, I could tell from the sonographer’s face that something was very wrong. Two consultants were called, and they told me they thought my baby may have a right-sided diaphragmatic hernia, something I had never heard of. I was also told that I had too much amniotic fluid, and in order to stop me from delivering early, I needed to have some of it drained out. I went into hospital the next day for the drainage, and then the day after to University College Hospital London for a second opinion on my baby's condition.

A right-sided CDH was re-confirmed, and I was booked in to have the baby at UCH instead of my local hospital at Milton Keynes (England). They decided to monitor me weekly until about 38 weeks and then consider induction. However, at 35 weeks my waters broke, and I was rushed by ambulance to London. Max Anthony Wyatt came into the world about 36 hours later on 12th November 1999. We had been warned that he would be silent and would be put straight on a ventilator and taken to intensive care. However, to our complete joy, he managed a little cry as he was born, and once he was 'wired up' I was able to hold him for a few minutes before he went to the ICU. It was a wonderful moment after those three terrible weeks of worry to hold my beautiful baby boy - who to our surprise had bright ginger hair. He weighed 5 pounds and 14 ounces - not bad for 5 weeks early!

Max held up very well from the start and was stable enough to be transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital (London) where he had his surgery at just 3 days old. The worst moment of our lives was when he was wheeled down to theatre - not knowing if we would see him alive again. However, all went very well, and he was back in about two hours-- he had survived.

Max made a very good recovery and 8 days after surgery he was off all breathing aids and transferred to special care. Only two days after that, he was well enough to be transferred to our local hospital, and then only four weeks after his birth, and still one week before he was due, he came home.

Our greatest wish for the Millennium New Year’s Eve was to be at home with our two sons – and that wish came true. Max had now at 21 months old been 'signed off' from our local hospital, although he has another check-up next July with his surgeon in London. He is the most wonderful, cheerful, charming toddler you can imagine, and apart from his scar, you would not have any clue that he had once been so poorly.

Written by Max's Family, Rachel, Nigel, and Harry Wyatt (Great Britain)
2001