Albert and George's Helmet fund

Our Story:

Our journey to parenthood has been anything but easy. It has been a long, emotional road full of heartbreak, hope, and resilience. After years of trying to conceive, we were overjoyed when our first round of IVF was successful. But our joy was quickly tempered by challenges that would push us beyond what we thought we could endure.

At 18 weeks pregnant, we were involved in a car accident. That moment became the beginning of a series of events that threatened to take away the miracle we had fought so hard for. The injuries from the seatbelt caused intense and painful tightening in my abdomen, which only worsened as the days went by. By 22 weeks, I went into early labour. Our hearts broke with fear, but thankfully, I was rushed to Luton Hospital, where they were able to stop the labour and give our babies more time to grow. After a week, I was discharged, but the anxiety and uncertainty remained.

At 25 weeks, I underwent a cervical suture procedure in a desperate attempt to keep our babies safe inside. But just two hours after the procedure, my waters broke. Once again, I was blue-lighted to Luton Hospital as I began going into labour for the second time. I spent the next 5 weeks on strict bed rest, under constant monitoring, clinging to the hope that our babies would stay strong. Every day felt like a victory.

On Thursday, May 2nd, at 31 weeks pregnant, I attended what was supposed to be a routine midwife appointment at Broomfield Hospital. Little did I know that the discomfort I was feeling were labour pains. Despite medication to stop the labour, my body was done fighting. On Friday, May 3rd, our beautiful twins, Albert and George, made their way into the world via emergency c-section, weighing only 4lbs each. Our babies were born far too early, and the fight for their lives had only just begun.

Our NICU Rollercoaster:

The next five weeks in the NICU were some of the hardest of our lives. Anyone who has spent time in NICU knows the rollercoaster of emotions—the fear, the anxiety, the small moments of hope, and the overwhelming exhaustion. Watching our tiny babies, hooked up to machines, fighting for every breath was both heartbreaking and humbling. It wasn’t just hard for us as parents, but for our entire family who had walked this long, painful journey with us.

As time passed, Albert and George began to show signs of positional plagiocephaly—where their heads became flattened on one side due to their prematurity and prolonged time spent in the NICU. Their heads looked asymmetrical, with misaligned ears and a bulging forehead on the flat side. We’ve tried everything to help them, from tummy time to changing their sleep positions and even physiotherapy. But despite all our efforts, the flattening has not improved.

The Next Steps:

At our recent paediatrician appointment, the consultant suggested contacting 'LOC Cambridge' to explore the possibility of infant helmets to correct their head shape. However, this isn’t covered by the NHS, and the cost is staggering—£2,300 per helmet, meaning we need to raise £4,600 to give our boys the best start in life. Apon our first appointment with LOC it was confirmed that Albert has severe Plagiocephaly and George has severe Plagiocephaly and Brachycephaly resulting in both of them to need corrective helmets.

This is an overwhelming expense for our family after everything we’ve already been through, but we know it is necessary to give our beautiful boys the chance they deserve.