Our beautiful daughter Jessica was born in September 2011 with a severe heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This was diagnosed at her 20 week scan and we were initially told that she was unlikely to be suitable for surgery. However, a pioneering in-utero operation at 28 weeks to enlarge a hole in her atrial septum was carried out and she was able to make it to term and get through her first open-heart surgery at just eight hours old. Jessica underwent five more surgeries during her life. Her final surgery - the Fontan procedure - took place in December 2017. She initially made a good recovery but sadly passed away suddenly on 14th April 2018 at the age of 6. This is the story of a little girl whose half a heart overflowed with love. She was, and will forever be, our little miracle and brought joy to all who knew her.

Monday 7 May 2012

Home again!


Jessica was eight months old yesterday and as she was off the oramorph, she was finally able to come home!  It was wonderful to be able to take her home after another four-week stay in hospital (we have been very consistent with our hospital stays!)  She had a bit of an unsettled evening as we all readjusted to being out of hospital and as she is now too big for her Moses basket, she slept in her new cot for the first time.


We have been getting to grips with her new medications and will be gradually trying to settle back into a routine over the next few days.  Jessica has been getting a little better at taking some of her milk via bottle but most of it is still going down the tube.  She was weighed yesterday and is gaining weight well – now up to 5530g (12lb 2oz) and is at last starting to outgrow the 0-3 month clothes!


We had a few visitors in our last couple of days on Ocean Ward – our friends Clare, Phil and Kath came to visit on Saturday and catch up with how Jessica is getting on.


It is so lovely to be home again as a family and we can’t thank the staff on PICU and Ocean Ward enough for taking such great care of Jessica once again.  The plan is to have a cardiac catheter investigation again in 3-6 months’ time and in the meantime we will be having regular check-ups in Oxford and weekly visits from the community nurse.
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3 comments:

  1. Unknown7 May 2012 at 20:16

    So pleased to hear that you are home, and that Jessica is doing so well.

    Neil & Sandra xx

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  2. Michelle Sanders8 May 2012 at 10:50

    Great news :) x

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  3. elizabethinchurch8 May 2012 at 13:16

    Fantastic news.. she looks really content sleeping in her new cot.

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