Draven’s Story

RSV, what is RSV? To an adult this is just a common cold to a baby this can be a killer. You might be thinking how can cold have such a devastating effect on a baby

This is Draven and this is his story

Hi, my name is draven I was born at 34 weeks. I was 2lb 12ozs. My mummy had something called pre-eclampsia and was really poorly when I came out and they had to get me out. I was poorly when I came out and I needed to be on something called C-Pap for the first four hours of my life. My journey started on the 10th of September 2024 at 11.15am. I was whisked away to a place called SCBU, I was then put into a big fish tank my mummy called it an incubator it was toasty! I loved my time on SCBU all the nurses took special care of me. My mummy and daddy did some of my cares, my mummy breastfed me and stayed with me whilst I was in and read stories to me. My favourite was Matilda. My daddy wanted to stay with me but he couldn’t as I was getting mammy’s milk and he had to look after my big sister. I became big and strong and was able to leave SCBU on the 11th of October. I was going home this was the start of my journey home. Mummy, daddy and my big sister was so excited to bring me home, I loved being at home. I loved spending time with my big sister. She tried to copy everything mammy with everything she did. She used to do this funny thing and pull her top up, cuddle me and try and breastfeed me. I loved cuddles with my sister. I just couldn’t wait to run around with her and terrorise my mummy and daddy. How we were going to ride bikes together, tell each other spooky stories, have a giggle and chase each other about. My mummy told me about this holiday called “Halloween” and how she was going to dress me up as something called “beetlejuice” I didn’t know what this was but I liked my stripy outfit. After Halloween I tried to smile, I also started to have abit of a cough and started to feel abit unwell. I was off my feeds and started being sick. On the 7th of November I got rushed into hospital as I turned a grey colour and I stopped breathing. I had to go to a place called “theatre” I didn’t like this place, they put a tube down my throat that reached my lungs so I could breathe. They give me medicine that made me very sleepy. I did wake up a few times and mummy and daddy where there and I let the see my beautiful eyes. I started to get really ill in hospital, they prodded me and filled me with wires. My brain started hurting. On the 10th of November my body started twitching and my eyes started twitching. Mummy and daddy were told I was having something called a seizure. They then put me into a big machine I was having something called a “CT scan” when the results came back from the big machine my mummy started crying, my daddy started asking a lot of questions. They said I have something called “severe brain damage” I didn’t know what that was but it made me scared. I didn’t know what was going on I just wanted a cuddle off my mammy and daddy but the doctors told them that they could only hold my hand. The next day I was put into another machine called a “MRI machine” when I came back from the machine they pulled mummy and daddy to a different room. They told mummy and daddy that the RSV I have caused a secondary infection that went to my brain and made my brain swell. The doctors told mummy and daddy that my brain is poorly and that I could die. I didn’t like this word. This is a scary word. This word made mummy and daddy cry. The decided to put me into something called an “induced coma” I saw mummy and daddy for the last time on the 10th of November. I couldn’t see mummy or daddy but I could hear them. They talked to me a lot, mummy cried a lot I could feel her on my chest. The brain doctor told mummy and daddy when I come out of this coma my brain is that poorly I won’t be able to breathe for myself. They let mummy give me a cuddle. I could feel my mummy, I felt safe, I love mummy cuddles! She kept on crying and telling me she loved me I didn’t understand why mummy was crying. On the 12th of November I took 30 breathes for myself on top of the ventilator. I wanted to show mummy and daddy that I’m still here. I’m fighting and I’m a strong little boy. On the 14th of November at 6am they’re going to take me out of my coma and decrease my oxygen to see if I can breathe for myself. The doctors are also going to decrease the special medication that is potentially keeping me alive. I have fought most of my life, I’m not giving up just yet I’m fighting. If I have to leave this world I know that I’m loved.

My name is Draven Stuart Alan Hipkiss, I’m 9 weeks old and this is my story. I woke up from my coma opened my eyes to see my mummy and daddy still there. Everyone seemed so happy I was responding to sights and sounds. I could cough, I could swallow, I was taking some breaths for myself and everyone was really surprised. The nurses kept pinching my hands and feet which I didn’t like but mummy and daddy seemed pleased that I was reacting.

As the sedatives wore off I became more aware of things including the breathing tube which I definitely didn’t like so I started fighting the ventilator. The doctors decided it was best to sedate me again to calm me down. I was calmed down but later in the day my lungs started to really hurt and breathing was very hard even with the ventilator. My oxygen levels started to drop and they had to try special forms of ventilation to keep me stable. Mummy and daddy were very worried they were told I have something called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and it is very scary as the doctors don’t think I will make it. I will most likely be in hospital for months to make a full recovery.

That was Draven and staying here in hospital with him to read him stories and spend all our time with him is very expensive. We still have everything to pay for to keep our home to bring him back to and neither of us are able to work while he is here. We can’t afford to keep rent payments, bills, my medication etc with none of us working, we don’t receive any type of benefits. We would never forgive ourselves if we weren’t here and something happened to him so anything to help us stay next to our special boy while he is recovering would be amazing. Any little bit of help is appreciated so much even if it’s a share.