Manchester royal children's hospital ICU

Hi, my name is James and this is my story.

Already having four girls, being told we was to have a boy was one of the most exciting times in my life!

Trent O'Neil was born on the 21st October 2021 5 weeks early weighing to us a tiny 5lb 1... all seemed perfect nobody had concerns and we was able to take him home three days later.

Trent always had a noise to him but nobody really seemed to be worried, 5 weeks passed...

Il never forget this morning.

Trent had slept all night, around 7 o'clock my wife woke and looked over to check on trent, all I remember is her saying "babe he doesn't look right" as I leaned over to his moses basket I knew instantly he was gone...

Immediately I took him out and placed him on the floor, that's when I knew I had to start CPR... As my wife rang for an ambulance, I started the compressions, tears running down my face I counted 1 2 3, nothing, again 1 2 3, nothing.. come on trent!! I could hear the sirens but they sounded so far away, again 1 2 3... as I cried out his name again, he took a breath, and burped!!! Just as the ambulance crew was coming up the stairs, alot of this is such a blur but as I held him in my arms, he smiled and I knew he was back with us!

We was taken straight threw to Preston hospital, where we was met by an amazing team in recuss!

Seeing my tiny baby boy led there, people just everywhere I literally broke!! They was throwing all these different things it could be, from sepsis to a blockage in his stomach?

Hours passed and they came back to tell us it was bronchitis.. a sign of relief.

We was moved upto the pediatric ward, where he was given fluids and anti biotics for 4 days, to be told we could go home and come back the day after for his last course!! Buzzing.

So we took him home again, I don't think we really slept that night, morning come and I took him back upto preston... not knowing what was coming.

As the nurse give him his antibiotics, she noticed he wasn't breathing how he should of been... this was the start of the worst 3 weeks of my life!!

Doctors came in from everywhere, Trent was really working hard to breath.. not again please.

We was rushed back in only to be told he had a condition called laryngomalacia and that he would need an operation at Manchester children's hospital!

With in a few hours we was rushed by ambulance, to be taken onto a ward to wait for the doctors... The next day came and the nurse who was looking after us was not happy with Trent at all... within in half an hour we was taking upto HDUP, next minute he was on high flow oxygen and been kept a very good eye on? 45 minutes later 45 minutes later they rushed him threw to ICUP and put on life support!! I have never felt so low in all my life, trying to keep strong for my wife aswell it just all got to much!!

We was told to go home for a few hours and return in the morning, I don't think we spoke or slept that night!

By 6 o'clock we was back and at his side, another day passed and they still hadn't operated then another day and another... 7th December 2021, it was a Tuesday we was just doing the school run, and my wife had gone to watch one of the little ones in her first Christmas play, we got the phone call to say he was being taken down!! We rushed to be next to him, hours passed, we rang down and he was back!! Don't think we've moved as fast..

As we walked back in, their he was... still on the high flow oxygen, but he was here!! Doctors came and said everything went really well... we just needed him to wake from his anesthetic! At this point we was told he was only breathing for 5 seconds on his own, this can't be happening again...

Our lovely nurse who was looking after Trent, kept reassuring us he was fine, and told us to grab something to drink.

As we returned, we got told the news that they was bringing him down of his high flow oxygen and he was breathing for himself!!! Them noises we will never forget!!

Within 24 hours of his operation we was back on the ward we started, feeding and no oxygen.. 5 days later we took him home for the second time!! He's now 8 months old and loving life,

Il never forget what the doctors and nurses did for my boy, their amazing people and need more praise for their incredible work!!

Sarah from ENT team, Beth and liv from ward 78 and the amazing nurses on ICUP THANKYOU!!