My wife and I were transferred to St. George’s neonatal intensive care unit after Baby Kenza was born at term (2 weeks late to be precise) and was very poorly with sepsis, her umbilical cord had been around her neck, she had inhaled meconium and suffered from shoulder dystocia during her birth. It took Kenza a while; 6 minutes for her body to finally get unstuck after the head, 23 minutes for the first gasp of air, and 46 minutes for a stabilised heart rate, after lots of CPR, oxygen tubes, and adrenaline shots. At around 20 minutes the doctors weren’t sure she would make it out alive, and we were distraught.
Kenza spent over a week at St. George’s NICU, going under hypothermia therapy. We had never heard of such a thing and were amazed at the kind of technology used to keep the brain from further damage due to lack of oxygen! Every doctor and nurse there explained our daughter’s progress very clearly, step-by-step . They were kind, warm and so welcoming, and made a terrible experience a little more bearable.
They went above and beyond to ensure she was well, constantly spoke to her and praised her for being so brave. They also cared for both me and my wife and were very sensitive towards the situation.
We will never forget how well they looked after our baby. Thanks to all the staff, Kenza got through her terrible start to life, and defying the odds her brain MRI AND EEG’s came back clear, meaning our little girl is healthy toddler now. We will never forget who to thank for our little miracle being alive and well. Thank you.
Patricia Barbosa, Kenza’s Mum
