Kirby parents Liz Stapleton and Steven Blackhurst could not have been prouder as they prepared to take their newborn son home from hospital on January 28. Weighing in at 7lbs 13oz, Tobias had been born by planned C-section, but as a midwife carried out routine final checks, she noticed a problem that would change their lives forever.
Detecting what she thought was a heart murmur, the midwife checked the baby’s oxygen levels before immediately rushing him over to resus, reports the Liverpool ECHO. As the parents, who also share a three-year-old daughter Eli-Vieve, waited for news, hospital staff worked on the day-old baby. As doctors were still in the dark about his condition, Tobias was rushed to Alder Hey children’s hospital by ambulance.
After multiple tests and scans, Liz and Steven were given a diagnosis, a congenital heart defect known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, which means the left side of the heart had not fully developed during pregnancy. The couple were told if they had been allowed to take Tobias home the outcome could have been fatal. On February 15, Tobias underwent a surgery to install a stent to a open a valve in his heart and he was finally allowed to come home.
Speaking from her home, as her son cooed happily in the background, Liz described the time since her son’s birth as “an emotional roller coaster” and “a whirlwind.” The 31-year-old said: “We’re trying to keep normality for our daughter, but you’re completely taken away by the diagnosis. It was a massive shock and we didn’t know what it meant or what was going to happen.
“The doctors and and nurses at Alder Hey were amazing. They held our hands all the way through and our family are really supportive as well. Looking at him now you’d think he was an ordinary baby, apart from the fact he only has half a working heart. The nurses are happy with him. Now it’s just about waiting for appointments with the cardiac specialists to see how he’s progressing inside.”
In a few months, when Tobias is around six months old, he will have to have open heart surgery known as a Glenn Procedure, which reduces strain on one side of the organ. Just before his first operation, Liz’s childhood best-friend Layla Mitchell-Smith set up a Go Fund Me page to support the family as Liz will be unable to return to work full-time due to caring for Tobias.
The 30-year-old from West Derby said: “Liz and Steven are the bravest people I know. Taking each day as it comes. They have to, as they have another beautiful little girl.
“They did everything right. Planned for the future and ensured they would be financially stable when their new son came into the world. This, however, through no fault of their own has left them in an incredibly difficult situation.”
Liz said the fact the page had almost reached its target (£1,270 out of £1,500) in less thank two weeks is “overwhelming.” She said: “We can’t thank everyone enough.”
For now at least the family are able to spend quality time together at home. Liz said: “You come home and you’re not surrounded by doctors and monitors. You get to be parents again.”
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