Alfie’s tracheostomy journey

Alfie was born with a stridor and unfortunately minutes after he was born he struggled to breath and after medical intervention his vocal cords were damaged causing him to struggle to breath and almost lost his life. Luckily the amazing doctors at alder hey saved his life by operating on him at just 26 days old meaning Alfie would have to learn to live with a tracheostomy (a tube in his throat to breath through). Alfie’s parents Zoe and Martin spent 4 weeks in hospital with Alfie training to care for his tracheostomy and became his full time carers as well as his parents. Alfie is now almost 15 months old and he loves water, he loves the bath and would love the swimming pool but due to his trache is unable to splash properly in the bath in case water was to go in the tube so hasn’t been swimming yet. With the trache being a direct link to his lungs Alfie picks up everything! He’s suffered with countless chest infections on a regular basis and he hasn’t been able to do what most babies his age would do like going to on play dates and playing in kids play areas. Alfie’s vocal cords have now healed and after another operation on his windpipe he will have his trache removed! Alfie has taken all of this in his stride and is so so brave. Lets help his mum and dad take him on holiday so he can go swimming and enjoy the sunshine! Lets also help them raise some money to be able to have a big family party to celebrate Alfie’s achievement in recovering from the trauma and the year he has spent with his ‘special tube’ (as his dad calls it to him).


Here’s what Alfie’s mum wrote on Facebook a couple of months ago. This shows a little bit of how their life has been over the past year.....

Never ever wrote a long status before so thought I’d write a small one.....
Thinking about our baby boy turning 1 next week......
I cannot believe how fast this year has gone from our beautiful baby boy being born and then for disaster to strike within minutes! Having him whisked away from you and not being able to see him for hours was horrendous but then to finally see him and not be able to hold him was the worst pain I’d ever felt. Sitting by our sons bedside for a week wishing the hours away to be able to hold him for just 10 minutes at a time was painful but made each cuddle mean more than the world.
We finally got him home after a whole week and little did we know that just 10 days later our life was going to be turned upside down, back to front and twisted in ways unimaginable!
Our one night stay for our tiny baby to have his first operation turned in to a second life saving operation just 6 days later where is gained his special tube.
The news of this hurt us deep inside in places I never knew existed, heartbroken was an understatement, scared to death doesn’t quite cover it BUT this saved our boys life and we will be forever grateful to his amazing surgeon and consultant for giving our baby life.
Life with a trache baby is so hard, things have changed so much not just by loosing friends but the normal everyday things we all take for granted are now near impossible. Then there’s the constant chest infections for Alfie meaning he’s poorly so often it’s a bloody shame, date nights are now for 3 rather than 2 lol, nipping the shop can’t be done without a heavy bag of equipment and emergency supplies, the constant worry of his tube being blocked and stopping him from breathing, having your baby have to sleep every single night hooked up to a machine to make sure he is getting enough oxygen and having a thousand false alarms go off during the night means pretty much no sleep at all but still having to do it all again the next day, really the list is endless. How we got through this year without too many breakdowns and still a full head of hair I do not know BUT we still have our baby and I wouldn’t change any of this if it means he is here.
Alfie is the bravest strongest little person I’ve ever known and he does not let his trache hold him back. He ‘loves life’ as Grace always says and is so so happy he’s an inspiration to us all.