When mum-to-be Kelly Runalls could not feel her baby move inside her, she had no idea of the life-threatening events that were about to unfold.
Neive in the hospital incubator
The first-time mum had expected a normal birth, but instead was rushed to Queen Alexandra Hospital for an emergency caesarean section to have baby Neive eight weeks early.
Kelly’s rise in blood pressure caused her organs to begin to fail, which saw her and Neive fight for life, while worried husband Sean, 31, supported them.
Then when blood and water on Neive’s brain was making her head swell, QA’s neo-natal unit took the utmost care of the family during the difficult six weeks the youngster was in hospital.
So they want to thank the unit by raising funds with a football and family fun day at Locks Heath Football Club ground for charity Ickle Pickle, which funds for specialised equipment such as incubators and ventilators for Neonatal units across England.
“On the 21 September, 2011 we found ourselves in QA, I hadn’t felt my baby move, I was in a lot of pain and I just knew something wasn’t right,” said Kelly, 33, of Thorney Close in Fareham.
“I was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia, my blood pressure had gone through the roof and the baby had a very flat heart rate.
“It’s just not what I expected the experience of having a baby would be like. It was quite scary.
“My organs had started to fail, the placenta had separated from the womb and there was a fairly large blood clot.
“For the first few days, and because of the blood pressure drugs, I felt like I was floating around watching someone else’s life.
“Neive was at the end of her fight and had we left it any longer, neither of us would be alive – for that reason alone we owe everything to the professional judgement, care and expertise of not only the neonatal team, but the midwives and staff who looked after us.”
Sean, Kelly and new-born Neive Runalls
Fortunately Neive was born after midnight on September 22 weighing just 2lb 14oz and after 24 hours was able to breathe without tubes. But that was just the start of the obstacles the family were to overcome.
The tot suffered two bleeds on her brain, which were likely to cause scarring. Then doctors noticed her head was growing too fast at about one cm per day – seven times the average for a newborn.
She was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain due to the bleeds, causing the head to enlarge to fast, which is also known as ‘water in the brain’. It took six lumber punctures to try to drain the fluid – an operation which had a 50 per cent chance of working.
With Neive in an incubator for weeks on end, Kelly and Sean did not get to bond as quickly with their child as other parents with normal births did. But with tremendous care and support from staff at the unit and other families on the ward, Neive was able to go home after six weeks, weighing 4lb10oz.
After undergoing routine physiotherapy and treatment, the youngster is now a healthy, happy 17-month-old without the likelihood of any long term effects.
The ordeal has meant the couple will not plan to have another baby. Kelly added: “To be so close to not being here I’m so lucky to be alive. I couldn’t do that again to Sean, Neive and possibly another baby. I can just be thankful for what I’ve got – and I am.
“She’s a really happy little girl.”
Last year Kelly and 27 friends took part in a 23-mile walk and raised £8,500 for Ickle Pickle to buy three phototherapy lights. Sean will be doing the same this year on Saturday (March 2) with 37 others.
The family fun day will take place on Good Friday (March 29) with a bouncy castle, stalls, barebcue, face painting, an ice cream van, medieval stocks, jungle buddies playbus, penalty shoot out, a fire engine, incubator raffle and more.
The event starts at 1pm at the grounds in Warsash Road, Titchfield Common and finishes at 5.30pm.
The family at Neive's christening
Kelly urged people to come and watch her friends Ash Nicholls – a former Locks Heath FC footballer – and Keith Newman, who have organised the match for their old school football teams Highlands FC and West End FC to battle it out on the pitch to win the Kenny Algar Cup.
Kick-off is at 3pm. It costs £3 per adult and children go free.
“There is something for everyone,” said Kelly. “I hope it raises lots of money. I’m grateful for whatever we can raise.”
To sponsor the family click here.