Mother praises staff at Newborn Intensive Care Unit

"It all started when I went for my 20 week scan when I was pregnant. I was told that my babies were extremely small and there was a possibility of going into preterm labour"

Those were the words that started Jessy 31, on her journey to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the John Radcliffe Hospital. When Jessy found out she was expecting twins, she was over the moon and she and her partner began to prepare for their new life ahead. Originally from London, but now living in Berkshire, Jessy had to be transferred to Oxford, the regional centre for intensive care for babies requiring additional support immediately after giving birth at 23 and a half weeks. Sky and Ezra were born on April 27, 2022, with Sky weighing 350 grammes which makes her one of the smallest babies born who survived in the UK. Considering the prematurity and very small size of both babies Jessy and her partner had been told to prepare for the possibility of losing them both. Although Ezra weighed 660 grammes at birth, he sadly only survived a day after his birth.

This came as a shock to Jessy as she thought Ezra had a higher survival chance because he was the bigger twin. "I thought I was going to lose Sky because of how small she was, so when we lost Ezra, I already began to prepare for the worst, but the team of doctors and nurses that surrounded us were very supportive."

Sky remained in the hospital for another four and a half months as she had problems with her blood pressure, multiple infections, premature bowels, a collapsed lung and slow growth. She also needed to reach an ideal weight before leaving the hospital. Her parents were accommodated at the Ronald McDonald charity house located on the grounds of the John Radcliffe Hospital. Sky was finally able to go home for the first time on September 9 2022.

Jessy described her experience with doctors and nurses at NICU as warm and welcoming. "They made me feel like Sky was the only patient there, even though you could see other babies and their parents. Their interactions with me were very personal and informative."

Sky was able to go home after she reached 1.6kg and she is slowly growing into a cheerful and happy little girl.

Dr Amit Gupta, Clinical Lead, Newborn Intensive Care Unit at OUH said: "Babies born at 23 weeks are extremely vulnerable and the majority are unable to survive. Sky was not only born extremely preterm, but was also the tiniest baby we have looked after. It was a privilege to be part of Sky's miraculous journey and her progress is testament to the skill and care of our staff."

Paula Gardner, Interim Chief Nursing Officer at OUH said: "I am delighted to hear that Sky is doing so well and that her parents felt that the care they all received shows the compassion and excellence our nurses and doctors always seek to provide."

Jessy Williams said: "I am very grateful for the care Sky received at the Newborn Intensive Care Unit of the Women's Centre in Oxford. All the nurses and doctors were amazing, open and honest, involving us in every detail of Sky's care.

"The whole team were on the same page, and they made sure they communicated with us in simple terms we could understand. It was very helpful to be able to trust the professionals who were providing Sky with the excellent care she needed."