By NICOLE VALICEK
New mum Keira Dawson was overjoyed to have baby Jack home and in her arms. 107286 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
FOR first-time mum Keira Dawson, being away from her newborn son Jack for the first two months of his life was difficult to say the least.
Last week Keira was overwhelmed with joy when Jack was discharged from hospital and back in her arms.
In August the Seaholme resident was seven and half months pregnant when she was taken to hospital with low foetal movements.
A week later the 23-year-old was back in hospital and an ultrasound revealed that there was something wrong.
Jack had stopped growing and the placenta wasn’t working. Steroids were injected into Keira’s arms to help the unborn baby’s lungs but she was told the baby was coming.
Baby Jack Laurence was born at the Royal Women’s Hospital on 10 August and weighed a petite 0.924 kilograms.
Over the next two months Jack faced a few setbacks. His stomach was enlarged and he faced problems with his breathing.
Keira described the experience as “horrible”.
“Without fail I was in there every day. Living in Altona and travelling to the city every day and back was hectic but I could not, not have one day with him,” she said.
After Jack’s birth Keira was distraught to learn that she could have lost him at any stage on his first night out of the womb.
“It was an anxious wait to hear. It was my first-ever surgery – I had to have an epidural, it was really scary.”
To Keira’s joy Jack was released from the Werribee Hospital a week early, one week ago.
“It was the best feeling in the world the day they told me he was coming home.”
While in hospital Keira saw a poster for Life’s Little Treasures Foundation, an organisation supporting families of premature and sick babies.
Keira said she could not have made it without the support of her family, the hospitals and the organisation.
On 27 October Keira, baby Jack and family and friends will participate in “Walk for Prems” the organisations National Charity Fun Run.
Keira said she wanted to raise money to help other like her and Jack.
“I said I have to do it because without the hospital and without that foundation we wouldn’t (have managed) they were just so helpful.”
“Without all the nurses and doctors and everything he did he wouldn’t be here.”
For more information visit lifeslittletreasures.org.au/walk/
