21 November 2023 , 11:42
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A mum has thanked a charity for help getting her home after she was forced to give birth to her premature son more than 400 miles away.
Amy Jenkins, from Worcestershire, was 35 weeks pregnant when she travelled to Moray, Scotland, to celebrate her father's retirement this summer in July. But things took a turn for the worst, when the mum started to endure pains in her back.
She was rushed to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin where medics diagnosed her with preeclampsia. She was then transferred to Aberdeen Maternity Hospital as her symptoms progressed. Amy ended up welcoming her son, Brody, five weeks early on August 23.
Brody was born five weeks early (The Archie Foundation)He was born weighing a mere 4 lb 6 1/2 oz, and was taken into the hospital's neonatal unit for special care, AberdeenLive reports. The family, including husband Alex and four-year-old son Jude, found themselves stuck on a seven-hour car journey away from their home with no vehicle or accommodation - until The Archie Foundation stepped in.
Amy explained: "It was an incredibly stressful situation coming to terms with having our son in an incubator and I was worried where we would stay while Brody received treatment. This is where The Archie Foundation stepped in and offered us a comfortable place to stay."
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Gillian Thom, support manager for the charity, was the Jenkins' family's first line of contact and became a comforting face in the Archie Family Centre, where the family were accommodated during their time in Aberdeen. Now, a few months on from their worrying ordeal, the family have paid their thanks to the foundation on World Prematurity Day.
Amy continued: "Gillian was such a friendly, welcoming person and her support was incredible. We were offered somewhere to stay on the hospital grounds to be close to Brody, which was such a relief. Financial strains are upsetting at the best of times, let alone when you're miles from home with a newborn baby so it was a huge weight off our shoulders to know we were supported. I will be forever grateful to The Archie Foundation for helping us when we needed it most."
The Archie Foundation provided a financial grant to the Jenkins family, which covered their expenses while staying in Aberdeen and also ensured they had a suitable car seat for taking Brody home when he was discharged almost two weeks later. Despite having a stressful welcome to the world, Brody has since settled at his home with his mum, dad and big brother, and has continued to thrive.
From its base at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, the charity has helped children and families across the north of Scotland for 22 years, including across the Highlands and Islands and Tayside. Paula Cormack, chief executive of The Archie Foundation said: "We understand how distressing it can be to find yourself at hospital with your child and we do whatever possible to make this difficult experience that little bit easier. Our support and services for neonatal families includes financial support, access to overnight accommodation, funding specialist equipment, providing hot drinks and snacks in the unit, training for staff and so much more. "