A Dunfermline mother has thanked the “best nurses in the world” for saving the life of her premature baby.
Bus driver Nicola Houston, 30, gave birth to her first son, Joey, 10 weeks premature after she was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia.
She had an emergency caesarean section at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
Joey was born weighing just 2lb 6oz, and spent eight weeks in hospital.
Now with Joey almost six months old and weighing a healthy 13lb, Nicola has contacted The Courier to say how grateful she is to NHS staff.
She said: “I hadn’t been well at work and took a blinding headache when I was six-and-a-half months pregnant.
“I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and almost had an accident while driving a bus in Dunfermline.
“I’d missed my 28-week nurse appointment because I didn’t want to lose any wages.
“I got taken into hospital on April 3 and was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia.
“They decided on April 11 that I needed an emergency C-section because I was at risk of a heart attack or stroke and there was a lack of oxygen going to the baby, but unfortunately there were no beds at the Victoria, so I was transferred to Ninewells.”
Joey was immediately taken to the special care baby unit where he fought for his life for weeks.
Nicola said: “It was touch and go. I didn’t get to see him until three hours after he was born. It was the worst time of my life, but without a doubt those nurses saved Joey’s life.
“After two weeks in Ninewells he was transferred to the neonatal unit at the Victoria (in Kirkcaldy) for six weeks where he got aftercare.
“The nurses there were also excellent.“
Nicola is now considering a fundraising puchchair walk across the Forth Road Bridge to help raise money for Ninewells.
NHS Fife executive director of nursing, Professor Scott McLean, said: “I am delighted that Nicola took the time to contact The Courier, not least after the busy and pressured six months that she and Joey have had.
“Nicola’s kind words are testament to the hard work, dedication and clinical excellence delivered by our midwives, doctors and nurses on a daily basis.
“Due to the unpredictable variability of premature births, Scotland does operate a model of premature babies being taken to nearest available neonatal cot at the time of birth.
“Nicola’s immediate transfer to Ninewells Hospital, and subsequent transfer to the Victoria Hospital are an excellent example of this regional model working at its best for mothers and babies.
“We wish both Nicola and Joey all the very best for the future.”
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman from Nicola’s employers, Stagecoach East Scotland, said: “We always try our best to provide our staff with continual support and are pleased to hear of Joey’s development.”
Photo by David Wardle