Bluebell is a little ray of sunshine. Even as a baby the nurses at the hospital would visit to get their daily dose of Bluebell. She’s been on quite the journey in her short life, making her big smiles all the more precious.
Bluebell was born with exomphalos major, meaning some of her organs were on the outside of her body. This very rare life threatening condition affects just one in 5,000 babies born.
At Acorns, we are here to help Bluebell and her family enjoy time together in a safe space. Her mum Stella explains:
“We were in hospital for a long time after Bluebell was born. Doctors said we had to wait until she was one to operate so we had long stays in hospital and multiple times we were told to say goodbye. But Bluebell was strong and fought through.
“After her operation, Bluebell still required oxygen to help her breathe and was fed by a tube so needed nursing care at home. I couldn’t take her to the usual mums and toddler groups because we were in and out of hospital so much. And, if I’m honest, I wanted to keep her safe.
“It was our community nurse who referred us to Acorns. She recognised that we were becoming quite isolated and lonely.”
“I’ve honestly been amazed by the support that they offer at Acorns. Every staff member truly cares about you and your child, and they’ve built a lovely connection with Bluebell. It’s priceless having someone you can trust to look after your child when they need extra care.”
“They look after all of us in the family too. Before Acorns, we had been living our lives separately almost. My husband Mike and son Gabriel would do their own things together. Bluebell and I would do ours, our own meals.
“But at Acorns, we are able to do things as the four of us. We have been for hydrotherapy sessions in the pool. It’s wonderful to see Gabriel have time with his sister. It’s something just for them which is really special.
“The support has been invaluable for me as well. It’s been a lifeline to talk to other people. To provide constant care can be quite a toll on you. To talk to others in the same situation helps so much. Without those people and meet ups I would have felt quite lonely.
“As Bluebell has grown her speech, walking, eating, and drinking are all coming along, and the Acorns Nurses have been really supportive in all of these milestones.”
“The support Acorns has provided has helped Bluebell develop and given her the opportunity to do things that many two-year-old girls enjoy. She’s just an amazing little girl and we know she’ll do a lot with her life.
“I’m so grateful that Acorns has been there for us. The staff have been incredible and so caring. I can’t express in words what it means to have them there. I think we will just always be thankful that we have had them in our lives.”
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