Isaac M's quilt    (Quilt Completed)

Thank you

Hi. Isaac’s quilt arrived. Thank you so much. Here is a picture of him all tucked up with it x

Finished photos

Individual squares

Card

Stitched by: Nicola Bailey

Biography

Isaac was induced at 37 weeks due to small growth. He was born weighing 5lb 2oz and remained in hospital for a week needing help from a heat mat to keep warm. Within hours of birth Isaac began vomiting but he was able to keep down enough fluids and so we were just told to keep an eye on him.

Over the next few weeks Isaac’s vomiting got worse and worse and we were unable to lie him down or move him without causing him to be sick. Milk would come out of his nose when he was feeding and he began choking on his feed. At 3 weeks old he had a tube placed through his nose and into his stomach and we were told it was no longer safe to feed him by mouth. He was also put on medication to help with reflux.

The vomiting continued to get worse and within another week Isaac was vomiting blood that was later determined to be coming from his oesophagus. He was no longer allowed anything into his stomach and the tube was advanced directly into his bowel. Unfortunately Isaac still vomited almost constantly and tests showed that his oesophagus was unable to close at the bottom and he would require surgery to stop the vomiting. He had ulcers on his oesophagus and they would frequently bleed. He was also diagnosed with dysmotility of the bowel and placed on TPN (intravenous nutrition) as he was severely underweight and malnourished.

At the age of 18 months Isaac underwent the surgery to correct his oesophagus which was initially successful but unfortunately failed after 6 weeks. During the next few months Isaac seemed to do well and we began reducing his TPN and reintroduced tube and oral feeds. Isaac successfully managed to come off TPN but after just a few months he began vomiting uncontrollably and suffering with severe pain. He was sent to Great Ormond Street where he was diagnosed with chronic intestinal pseudo obstruction which is a condition that causes the digestive system to shut down as the nerves and muscles don’t move in the way they should. Isaac was placed back on TPN and has this via a tube directly into his blood stream for 16 hours a day. He also had a stoma formed to try and relieve some of the pressure on his bowel. Pseudo obstruction is a lifelong condition and while there are treatments that can help manage symptoms, currently there is no cure.

Isaac also suffers from learning disabilities and is unable to talk yet. His understanding is minimal and he struggles with new or unfamiliar situations. Despite all this he is a happy and cheeky little boy. He loves anything that spins and enjoys playing with his brothers.