Nothing prepares you for childbirth when it doesn’t go as planned.
Joseph 'Joey' was born at 37 weeks, he was coughing up mucus and shortly after was diagnosed with a rare birth defect which affects one in 5,000 babies.
Known as a tracheoesophageal fistula, Joey had an abnormal connection between the oesophagus (the tube that leads from the throat to the stomach) and the trachea (the tube that leads from the throat to the windpipe and lungs).
When he would swallow, the liquid could pass through the oesophagus and the trachea and into his lungs which can cause pneumonia and other problems.
Joey's mum Laura had a long wait while he was in surgery shortly after his arrival.
"He had to have a nine-hour operation to fix it and it was one of the longest days of my life. It was nerve-wracking."
"He went into the operation at 8 am at The Royal Hospital for Women in Randwick and we sat in our room all day, nervously waiting for news. As if sensing our distress and anxiety, the hospital staff were brilliant, updating us about his progress as the day went along, but it was hard to focus on anything. We were beside ourselves with worry and still in shock about what was happening to our tiny newborn boy."
Laura and Joey's dad Dennis had to wait six long days until they were able to hold him in their arms. He was in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at The Royal receiving around the clock care and treatment, and for the best chance of a speedy recovery.
"I held him close to me for one hour and it was the most special moment. I was so incredibly happy to have him with us, safely in my arms after such an ordeal. It was hard to describe how wonderful it felt."
The Royal's NICU is one of the only two hospitals in NSW with suitably experienced surgeons and co-located facilities where such a delicate operation can be performed.
While Joey's first few hours and weeks in the world were a little shaky, he has just turned one and is absolutely thriving.
"Joey recently turned one and is a funny, curious and clever little boy. He is doing very well health-wise and is thriving. He loves his food and has had no issues with eating to date, in fact we can’t feed him enough!
We’ve had the best level of follow up care over the past year and meet with all the specialists, ENT, surgeons, speech therapists and respiratory teams every six months now. They are very happy with his progress and how well he is doing.
We are so grateful for the care we had in the Royal Hospital for Women to ensure that Joey’s surgery was a success and that he could live a normal life afterwards."
Jane often reflects on how lucky she was to be treated at The Royal.
Darlinghurst florist Jane Lampe is one of the thousands of women whose life has benefited immeasurably from the NSW Breast Centre at The Royal Hospital for Women.
Looking at herself in the mirror after returning from a holiday, the 41-year-old was shocked when she noticed that her left breast was completely misshapen.
As soon as she arrived at the Breast Centre, Jane was diagnosed with a seven-centimetre cancerous tumour. She was swiftly referred on to have a mastectomy, followed by five months of chemotherapy and five weeks of radiotherapy.
What helped her deal with the emotional turmoil of her treatment was the constant support of one of the centre’s two breast care nurses, Gill Neil.
“I’d never been in hospital before, so it was incredibly daunting, dealing with all the appointments in the different departments,” Jane says. “Gill booked them all in for me, explained what was happening in layman’s terms, and really brightened some dark days for me. I rang her a few times with some very silly questions, such as if I can swim at the beach, and how long it would take for my hair to grow back, and she didn’t seem to mind at all.”
When she was coming out of general anaesthetic after her second operation, one of the nurses even brought in armfuls of Daphne, Jane’s favourite flower, from her own garden at home in Randwick.
“My GP referred me to two private breast care centres, but one was very expensive, and the other one had an incredibly long wait list. Thank goodness I found my way to The Royal instead. “
The Royal Hospital for Women's Breast Centre cares for over 2,500 women each year just like Jane.
Toni's husband Chris was diagnosed with Stage 4 Bowel Cancer at just 45 years old.
That's when their journey at The Royal began.
The couple were able to take advantage of the onco-fertility services provided for cancer patients at The Royal Hospital for Women’s Fertility and Research Centre.
The Fertility and Research Centre was established in 2017 and is the only public fertility clinic in the state. Offering free Fertility services to patients who require chemotherapy following a cancer diagnosis, giving them the chance to have a family.
Following two rounds of IVF in 2021, the couple were thrilled to find out they were pregnant with a baby girl.
Baby Tilly was born on the 18th of April 2022 and even in the depths of Chris’ illness, Tilly provided immeasurable joy for the couple and her big sister, Ella.
Chris was able to spend the first 3 months of Tilly’s life with her, before passing away in their home in August 2022.
“Watching him enjoy her was the happiest moments of my life and now that he is gone, having her is the greatest gift he could have ever given me.”
Toni’s story is one of strength, courage and heart that shows the incredible impact The Royal can have on lives of women, newborns and families today and our future generations.
For women, for better.
