Heartbroken mum's tribute to 'beautiful little boy' who died in her arms
A heartbroken mum has paid tribute to her "little bundle of joy" who died after suffering from a severe heart condition.
Théo-Ben was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) - a birth defect which affects the normal blood flow through the heart - before he was born last November. He tragically passed in his parents' arms less than a year later, at just 10 months old.
His mum, Talour Greenwood, first discovered he had the condition after going for a scan while 33 weeks pregnant. She said: "I cried so hard. I wanted my own baby to love and cherish for as long as possible, it is something I dreamed and wished for."
"I always dreamed of having my own little boy and then found out during the gender reveal I got my little best friend." The doctor said there was a 50/50 chance he would survive and offered to terminate the pregnancy, but Talour said: "He was a fully grown baby - I couldn't give up on him, I needed to give him a fighting chance."
The mum and her partner, Ryan, welcomed him weeks later. NICU doctors and nurses quickly surrounded them and took him to his first open heart surgery at just four days old, which was successful but caused him complications in his diaphragm.
Heartbreak for community as dad and son who ran two cafes die suddenlyRyan stopped working in February so the couple could give their full care and attention to Théo-Ben, as he stayed in the ICU and HDU at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. He had just undergone his third surgery in September, which was believed to have gone well.
Recalling that moment, Talour told the Manchester Evening News: “He looked pink in a really good way. He was back with us after that procedure. He was steady and opened his eyes after a few days. It was the most amazing thing." But suddenly, the couple were called to the hospital and told "to expect the worst" after Théo-Ben's blood pressure lowered, temperature spiked, and heart rate soared.
Doctors had their "backs against the walls" after moving him onto the maximum level of support and medication. Talour said: “We were told to expect the worst. I ran out of the room, Ryan followed, and we broke together. We knew then there was no coming back from this, he was far too poorly.
"The doctors did everything they could for him but their backs were against the walls. His little body had given up. We knew he’d already gone - it was just a machine keeping him there. We took his brothers to say goodbye to him. It was absolutely devastating."
Théo-Ben passed away in the late afternoon of September 28, surrounded by his family, who are are now preparing to give him a "beautiful" farewell on October 17. Talour said: "He passed in mine and Ryan’s arms. Our little boy is free of the tubes, wires, medications and machines now.
"He can now go be that little boy he was meant to be from the start. All I can do is thank him for putting up the biggest fight he did over the last 10 months." She added: "We had the most amazing 10 months with him, the smiles the giggles - it was out of this world. He was the most special boy. If cuddles and kisses could have kept him around, he would have lived forever."
If you would like do donate to a GoFundMe to support the family, please click the link here.