Vinny’s Story

Hi, my names Paige and I’m wanting to raise money for the Neonatal intensive care unit at James Cook Hospital. If it wasn’t for all the consultants and nurses on the ward my little Vinny wouldn’t be here today. They saved his life. Here is Vinny’s story.

On the 10th August 2024 Paige got rushed into hospital at 33+1 weeks pregnant due to placenta eruption. Paige lost a dangerously significant amount of blood (4 litres) leaving her with only 0.5 litres left in her body she received a blood transfusion while she give birth to Vinny via emergency c-section, due to a critical large antepartum haemmorhage.

Due to the placenta eruption the blood flow to the baby was cut off causing him to go 90 minutes without blood flow and oxygen.

When Vinny was delivered he needed to be resuscitated twice, which took 6 minutes for him to do his first breath, after being brought back to life Vinny was intubated in theatre and received his first medication after 9 minutes of life, that’s when we got told the severity of how poorly Vinny actually was.

Within the first 12 hours of life Vinny started with server seizures which no medication could control, on day 2 of life the consultants requested all family members to come say their finally goodbye as they didn’t think he would make it through the night. As a family we decided to get Vinny baptised/ blessed by the hospital chaplain, miraculously Vinny made it through the night with less/ milder seizures. Day 3 Vinny had a EEG which showed abnormal brain activity he had to have an infusion of the strongest seizure medication (midazolam) he remained on the ventilator for 7 days then high flow oxygen for 4 days after.

Day 6 he had an ultrasound scan which showed defused abnormalities throughout the brain tissue, in keeping with hypoxic brain injury. A MRI scan showed hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE GRADE 3) meaning 60% of Vinny’s brain to die. The parts of the brain that we know is 100% affected is the ability to speak and write, concentrate, behaviour control, voluntary movements, emotions, sensations; pain, touch, temperature, memory.

We aren’t aware of how this will affect Vinny in later life but he will have disabilities.

As of a recent meeting with the consultants from James cook we got explained that with Vinny having seizures it is a lot more serious than what we thought. It could eventually affect the good parts of his brain which will occur more problems and could damage the 40% that he’s got left.

Also getting referred to an eye doctors due to the consultants thinking he has no sight as he can’t fix and focus on objects and lights.

We had another meeting with his new paediatrics consultant and we got told that he is 100% showing signs of Cerebral Palsy due to the weakness and tightness of his legs and arms.

I will keep adding on bits from meetings and appointments.

Thankyou!