BiographyClara was born full term and everything was normal during my pregnancy with her. However, a short while after she was born she was rushed to neonatal with seizures and couldn’t breathe on her own so was put on a ventilator. We were told she wasn’t going to make it through the night. Clara was resuscitated several times and was a very sick wee baby. She had an MRI a few days after birth and we were told the worst news that Clara’s brain was so severely damaged she would likely not see her first birthday and if she survived she would never see, hear, walk or talk.
Clara had her NG tube removed when she came out of neonatal. However, we had to make the decision when Clara was 3 to give her an NG tube again as she wasn’t gaining weight and could no longer eat her pureed diet without choking or be able to take her medicine safely . She is on a lot of medication to keep her well.
Clara is now 6 and a half and, although she faces a lot of challenges with her epilepsy, cerebral palsy and has a lot of complex needs, she is the happiest most wonderful wee child who brings so much sunshine and joy to our lives. Clara can see and hear however she is non-verbal and cannot walk, crawl or sit up unaided due to the severity of her brain damage. We are so thankful to have Clara, she really is a miracle and a delight to have around and is loved by everyone in her life.
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