A young local family are trying to raise funds for an organisation that helped them so much at a very stressful time when wee Layla Jade was seriously ill.
Here through the eyes of Layla Jade is the story so far:
"Over the next few months my family are organising events to raise money for Ronald McDonald House in Glasgow, this is my story.
I was born with gastroschisis at 37 weeks - my bowels had escaped through a hole in my abdomen while my Mummy was pregnant.
Just a few hours after I was born the Special Care Baby Team had to take me away from my parents by ambulance from Glasgow Southern General to Yorkhill Hospital. My bowels were put in a special bag called a silo which was suspended above me, gravity slowly helped them back to where they were meant to be. At 6 days old I had an operation, the last few inches of bowel were gently pushed inside my tummy and the hole was closed. My umbilical cord was saved when I was born so I now have a designer belly button rather than a large scar. After my wound had healed a little I finally got my first cuddles with my Mummy and Daddy. (Don't tell them this, but I think they enjoyed them more than me!)
I experienced my first taste of milk when I was ten days old, it was only 5ml every two hours to start with, I thought it was so amazing I kept crying for more! I wasn't allowed to feed before my operation; or more often afterwards; as there was a risk my bowels wouldn't be able to cope. Sometimes I was so tired the nurses or my Mummy had to put my milk down a nasal-gastric tube instead so I wouldn't be going hungry. I really didn't like these NG tubes and got pretty good at pulling them out- my record was 6 in 24 hours! I also had a Picc line going into one of my veins to ensure I was receiving enough nutrients and fluid to keep me healthy.
After 13 days in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit I was transferred to a general surgical ward as I was recovering well; my consultant even said I was breaking records with my progress!!
I was taking a little bit more milk each day and was upgraded from a syringe to a bottle, just like any normal baby. The first time I was so excited I managed to guzzle it all within 20 seconds! I was gaining weight and managing to take milk well without vomiting so I finally had my lines and tubes taken out. This also meant I could have a bath at long last and wear clothes properly rather than having one arm poking out the neck of an outfit.
Once I was up to 84ml and maintaining this amount each time my Mummy was allowed to stay overnight with me in the ward before sending me home.
At exactly 1 month old, I was discharged from Yorkhill hospital to go home with my Mummy and Daddy!!
At three months old I took unwell, Mummy and Daddy took me to hospital where they did lots of tests and I was diagnosed with Pneumonia and Acute Bacterial Endocarditis - an infection on the tricuspid valve in my heart. I was taken by ambulance to Glasgow to get looked after by paediatric cardiologists
in the new Royal Hospital for Children. I had at least one new cannula inserted nearly every day as they would stop working, but I needed the medicine to get better. After a few days to build up my strength I went to theatre and was put under general anaesthetic so my consultant could put in a Hickman line. This is a small catheter that goes in to a vein near my collar bone. The Infection Control Team said I would need a total of 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to treat the infection on my heart valve.
During my time in Glasgow I had several scans done of my heart and countless blood tests. After what seemed like an age, the doctors were then happy enough with my progress and I was stable enough that I could return to Raigmore hospital, where I could be closer to home. I still have half of my treatment to complete but each day is a day closer to getting home with my Mummy and Daddy.
During both admissions while I was being cared for by doctors and nurses in Glasgow, Ronald McDonald House looked after my Mummy and Daddy; less than 10 minutes away from my bedside. They gave my parents somewhere secure to stay where they could cook, sleep and wash for NO cost.
Ronald McDonald is a charity that survives on donations and provides families with a 'home from home'. Having me poorly in hospital is tough enough without having the added stress and financial hardship of being away from home and work for a long period of time.
Please help me to say thank you to such a wonderful charity.Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. "
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