A mum-of-seven has revealed her agonising ordeal after nearly losing her baby – and now fears for his “devastating” future.
Hannah Wright has been left traumatised after her newborn entered the world “lifeless” due to severe brain damage.
Upon experiencing heavy Theodore cramps and subsequent haemorrhaging 10 weeks prior to her due date, the 37-year-old was rushed to the hospital to deliver her baby boy.
Amidst the fear and crippling emotions, little Theodore was born weighing 3lbs 11oz – but was quickly whisked to intensive care as he wasn’t breathing.
Soon, the plucky tot was diagnosed with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), a form of brain damage due to lack of oxygen and blood flow.
Now, the mum hopes to raise awareness for the life-changing ordeal they’ve suffered, where she claims he won’t ever be able to walk, talk, or play with others.
“I’m heartbroken and scared for Theodore’s future,” customer service advisor Hannah, of Blackwood, South Wales, told NeedToKnow.online.
“I was so unprepared for this to happen, that I can’t find the words to explain how I feel, apart from that, I’m devastated.
“After I went to the bathroom, I noticed that I was haemorrhaging very heavily and started having cramps, as well as pain in my abdomen.
“Prior to this, there were no signs of early labour or anything concerning about to happen.
“I was afraid my baby was in danger, where I felt overwhelmed with fear – I didn’t know what to do.
“It was all so sudden that it was hard to cope with the situation at hand.”
Prior to falling pregnant with Theodore, she started to feel “hopeless” after experiencing five miscarriages.
While “over the moon” with their early scans, they were soon faced with a new reality after her pregnancy was deemed high-risk due to issues with the placenta.
Speaking about the complications, she said: “I was presented with a [thick] placenta, with accreta, where it was growing deeply into the uterine lining.
“I was made aware that this could lead to an adverse outcome, so would need very close monitoring throughout the pregnancy.
“Unfortunately, doctors aren’t quite sure why he developed this condition – but this could be due to my placenta failing him in the uterus.
“He was taken straight to the special care baby unit after being born, where he received oxygen, as well as being placed in an incubator with light therapy for signs of jaundice.
“It’s going to affect him for the rest of his life and he’s also started to have absent seizures, as well as infantile seizures which will develop into epilepsy.
“Theodore will end up developing spastic quadruple cerebral palsy [as a result] which means he will never be able to walk, sit, talk or eat solid food.”
On 18 January 2023, Theodore was allowed to go home from the Grange Hospital, Cwmbran – but, as a result of the traumatic ordeal, the mum was left recovering in the hospital for an extra two weeks after undergoing a hysterectomy due to her placenta turning grey.
As she claims this was “falling off in clumps” this posed a significant risk to her life, and soon, her womb had torn into two – where there was no hope of recovery.
While they hadn’t planned on having more children, she has been left “heartbroken” with the outcome – and claims the family’s lives have changed forever.
Hannah added: “I felt heartbroken, as although we hadn’t planned on having more children, the option has been taken away from me.
“It’s been really hard coping with all these upsetting feelings, as I feel like a part of me has been ripped out.
“Currently, he’s on a feeding tube and can’t tolerate bottles, so has lost loads of weight.
“He seems to burn more calories than he’s consuming and only weighs the same as a newborn at 8 lbs.
“[At this stage] he should be sitting up, rolling over and playing with his toys – but he can’t do that.
“I’m afraid he will end up depressed and frustrated, especially if he can’t communicate or is confined to a wheelchair.
“I don’t want him to feel like a burden, but it’s been so hard and we’ve had to change so much of our daily lives to assist with the different therapies he needs to attend.
“My mental health has gone completely downhill and now, I have a constant, irrational fear that all my children are in danger.
“He will need continuous therapies, such as physiotherapy, occupational, as well as speech and language therapy for the rest of his life.
“I think he may also need a wheelchair and specially adapted buggies to get him around.
“But despite everything, I’m grateful for our Little Ted and he’s a miracle who has completed our family.”
A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: “We’re very sorry to hear about the traumatic experience of Ms Wright and baby Theodore, and we would like to send our best wishes to the family.
“We’re aware of Ms Wright’s concerns and are liaising with the family’s representatives to discuss them.”
