Gold Coast Health is recognised for quality patient care, nursing and midwifery excellence and innovations in professional nursing and midwifery practice under the Magnet® Recognition Program.
"Walking together in kindness" artwork produced for Gold Coast Health by Riki Salam, We are 27 Creative.
After waking up at 38 weeks pregnant, Amber noticed her baby Ruby wasn't moving like she normally did.
Within 15 minutes, she went straight to hospital and discovered Ruby's heart rate was dropping and in distress. Amber had started dilating, but because Ruby’s heart rate kept dropping, the decision was made to have an emergency C-section.
Ruby took a little while to cry when she was born and was taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and given breathing support.
“I got to hold her for the first time on my chest when she was three days old.”
“She was asleep and unresponsive, but she was with me. I held her for almost three hours. My C-section pain was awful, but I couldn’t leave her.”
Suddenly, Ruby began having seizures and an MRI showed she had suffered a brain injury due to a lack of oxygen in utero.
“We learnt she had cerebral palsy and didn't know if she would wake, feed, walk or talk,” Amber said.
But slowly, Ruby surprised everyone.
“Her seizures stopped, the swelling and bleeding settled and she woke up,” Amber said.
“One moment I’ll never forget is when Ruby had woken up and was sucking on her dummy and we decided to try breastfeeding. She latched and had a beautiful breastfeed, and I remember looking up at the nurse who was standing there crying.
“She had been there when Ruby was rushed into NICU after birth and when there were so many unknowns about what her future would look like. And there we were, a week later, watching our little girl breastfeed.”
After three weeks in hospital, Ruby went home.
“Ruby now lives the happiest, healthiest little life,” her mum smiled.
“Her cerebral palsy mainly affects her right upper limb. We're also navigating her speech and whether her brain injury has played a part, but she is sassy, wild, cheeky and has the biggest personality.”
Nearly three years later, Amber still can’t express her gratitude to the NICU team enough.
“That hospital has been there for us through some of our most heartbreaking moments, but also some of our most beautiful ones,” Amber said.
“Even during the most traumatic and frightening time of our lives, we were surrounded by the most beautiful, compassionate people who fought so hard to give our little girl the best possible chance."
“I will never forget our final moments there, hugging the nurses and crying together. Those beautiful people supported us through everything, and I will forever be grateful.”
