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We are walking the 10 miles from The Rosie Maternity hospital back to Linton to raise money and awareness of the wonderful charity that gave such wonderful support to Serena and Nev while Mille and Lottie were being cared for in the neo-natal intensive care unit.

Their story...

After a rollercoaster journey to get pregnant and just about to give up hope we were beside ourselves to finally have a positive pregnancy test. After a few initial difficulties we could not believe how lucky we were when an early scan confirmed we were still pregnant and then a further follow up scan revealed we were in fact carrying twins 😊😊 it was a dream come true. From our 12 week scan onwards the pregnancy appeared to be going smoothly. We were delighted to find out at our 20 week scan that we were carrying twin girls and were comforted in the knowledge that they both appeared healthy and that the pregnancy was going well. We could finally start relaxing a little and begin to plan all that we needed for them. Our due date was Wednesday 23 September 2015 but because we were having twins, we were told to prepare ourselves for an early arrival, around August time, and to expect them to spend a short time in special care. However, nothing could have ever prepared us for quite how early their arrival was and the rollercoaster journey that would follow.
 
On Friday 12 June 2015, after spending an uncomfortable 24 hours with back pain it was confirmed after being assessed at The Rosie that I was in the early stages of labour. I was rushed onto the delivery unit whereupon steroid injections were given to boost the girls’ lungs and a magnesium sulphate drip was administered for their brain development. Additional drugs were also given to try and stall labour in order to give the girls the best chance of survival possible. For just over 3 days, I remained in and out of labour during which time all we could do was hope and pray for their safe arrival into the world. At just 25 weeks gestation on Monday 15 June at 3:35am, Millie Grace Hanks was born weighing 710g (1lb 9oz) closely followed at 3:50am by Lottie Alice Hanks weighing 790g (1lb 12oz).
 
Due to their extreme prematurity they both suffered from respiratory distress syndrome and were immediately put on a ventilator before being whisked off to the neonatal intensive care unit where they were both treated for sepsis and jaundice and were to begin the biggest battle of their lives.
 
In true Millie and Lottie style, as we were to learn over the forthcoming days, weeks, and months, our little fighters were able to be weaned off the ventilator quickly and were both transferred on to CPAP at 15 hours of age. A central line was inserted into both girls in order that parenteral nutrition could be administered.
 
At this point in time we were a sea of mixed emotions, elated that we had at long last become parents but completely overwhelmed with anxiety and distress at how tiny and fragile the girls were.
 
Staff at The Rosie Neonatal Care Unit embraced us under their wing and did their utmost to give us as much care, support and advice as they were able to in an effort to keep us strong and help us through the immensely difficult and emotional situation we were in.
 
We did our very best to try and settle into hospital life with the girls and assist with their routine care as much as we were able to. Just doing the smallest of things like changing their tiny nappies for the first time felt like a huge milestone for us. But the journey with an extremely premature baby in intensive care does not afford you any stability and over the next few weeks we experienced an emotional rollercoaster as the girls both bravely battled through line sepsis, bacterial infections and suspected gut infections and underwent lumbar punctures, blood tests and scans which resulted in them having numerous different types of antibiotics as well as blood, plasma and platelet transfusions.
 
To compound matters both Millie and Lottie also experienced recurrent desaturations, bradycardias, and apnoea’s which required stimulation and additional breathing support. This was an extremely distressing time for us as all we could do was sit by and watch as the machines bleeped and alarmed when the girls stopped breathing. This resulted in Millie and Lottie undergoing routine ECHO scans which revealed that they both had large PDA’s (holes in their heart).
 
But none of the above could prepare us for what was to follow when at just 5 weeks old and weighing 850g (just under 2lb) we were hit by the news that Millie was suffering from an acute clinical deterioration with discoloration and swelling to her abdomen and diagnosed with the life threatening condition necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and given just 12 hours to live. Both girls were blessed together that day by the hospital Chaplin. We were distraught. Somehow Millie kept fighting on and 2 days later we were offered a lifeline by the surgical team……….her life was in the balance, without emergency lifesaving surgery she would die but, they were unsure whether she was strong enough to survive surgery. Her fate was in our hands and we just could not give up on our brave precious little fighter. Millie was too unstable to be moved to theatre and the surgery was performed at her incubator. We took comfort in the fact that she was not on her own and that Lottie was in the room with her. A laparotomy was performed and Millie was found to have extensive NEC and was left with only 20cm of viable bowel remaining after surgery. A proximal stoma was formed and a mucous fistula.
 
The surgery had left Millie extremely critical and fragile and we were at our lowest point having gone through such a dark and distressing week with little sleep spending every day and half the night at Millie’s side. It was at this point that The Sick Children’s Trust came to our rescue offering us accommodation in their ‘home from home’ environment at Chestnut House which was close by the girls so that we could be with them in a matter of minutes. It was our saviour and offered us a little respite from the bleeping machines and intense medical and clinical environment of the neonatal intensive care unit and gave us the help and support we needed during what was an extremely emotional and distressing time. It also meant we could spend invaluable precious time with both Millie and Lottie as we did not have to factor in any travelling to and from the hospital and could go and see them first thing in the morning as well as enjoy late night cuddles without the daytime hustle and bustle when visitors and other parents would be about. Abi, the House Manager, was a much welcomed friendly face who was always on hand for a hug or chat over a cuppa when we were having a tough day. We were extremely lucky to have been offered such a welcoming and homely room so close to the girls where we were surrounded by other parents who found themselves in the same extremely emotional and difficult situation as us and there we were to stay for the next 7 weeks while Millie remained critical.
 
On Thursday 10 September 2015 Millie underwent follow up surgery whereupon her stoma was successfully closed and she could begin her long road to recovery.
 
During all the time Millie was so critically ill Lottie was bravely battling along fighting off her share of various infections and slowly gaining weight and strength and we were busy preparing for her to come home which felt like a huge milestone.
 
Following surgery, over the next couple of weeks, Millie appeared to go from strength to strength and was at long last moved out of intensive care into a high dependency room. But then, just a week before Lottie was due to come home, we were devastated to learn that Millie had deteriorated and been rushed back into intensive care with a second diagnosis of NEC. However, whilst being critically ill, Millie was, fortunately, bigger and stronger to fight off the infection this time round and was soon back on the road to recovery.
 
After spending 120 days in hospital, we were so very pleased and grateful that Lottie was well enough to come home on Monday 12 October 2015.
 
We had only one wish left and that was for Millie to be home with us safe and sound. The best ever Christmas present came early to us when, after spending 185 days in hospital, Millie was finally well enough to come home on Thursday 17 December 2015.
 
Millie and Lottie have both gone from strength to strength since they have been home. They celebrate their first birthday on Wednesday 15 June 2016 and we would like to use this special timing to give thanks to The Sick Children’s Trust and plan a charity walk on Sunday 26 June 2016 to raise invaluable funds for this very special charity which helped and supported us through a very difficult time and which continues to help and support families up and down the country. We very much appreciate a small donation.
 
Thank you for your support it is very much appreciated.
 
Serena, Nev, Millie and Lottie xxxx