Tiny Nathanael Dougherty was born at 23 weeks and six days and had a Royal visitor when Princess Anne made an appearance at Newcastle’s RVI
Princess Anne meets Nick, Phillippa and baby Nathanael Dougherty at the RVI’s neo-natal intensive care unit(Image: NHS)
Little Nathanael Dougherty is almost 100 days old – but the tiny baby has spent his whole life at the RVI’s neo-natal intensive care unit – and he’s still yet to reach the date he should have been born. Life so far has been a “rollercoaster” for Nathanael and parents Phillippa and Nick – but last week they were able to share a very special moment when Princess Anne visited the unit.
The family, who are from Yarm, have seen their little boy go through “more than most adults”. Mum Phillippa told ChronicleLive about his life so far – and paid tribute to the hospital staff and charities who have supported them.
“It’s been a pretty bumpy road,” she said. “A real rollercoaster. Even now, we are waiting to see if we’ll have to be flown down to London.”
Nathanael was born on New Year’s Eve. Within days he had been rushed North from James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough to Newcastle, which has a specialist neo-natal intensive care unit that is one of few in the country. It can support the tiniest babies who are also in need of surgery.
Phillippa added: “I have actually been in hospitals since Boxing Day. It’s been incredibly scary – especially as I had previously lost a baby at 19 weeks.”
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She explained that as the year turned the family were rushed to Tyneside – and here Nathanael underwent lifesaving surgery. Phillippa added: “He was really sick. He had to be taken to theatre as he had a perforated bowel. At that age, a baby’s tissues are paper-thin. He’s now 14 weeks old and I haven’t been home. I’ve been at Crawford House in the hospital grounds.
“Even as a nurse, the thing about living through this is you have no idea until you are a patient yourself. It’s absolutely the most horrendous time – but everyone here has been amazing: if they could make it better for us, they did.”
Phillippa, 44, is a nurse while husband Nick, 53, is a physio. Both have experience working in the community to support those with complex needs. Phillippa has stayed in Crawford House, accommodation at the RVI in Newcastle provided by the charity the Sick Children’s Trust. She said this had been an incredible help to them.
She said: “I don’t know what we would have done without being able to stay in Crawford House. The number of times when I have been here and Nick has been at home – and when Nathanael has been so sick that we didn’t know if he was going to make it.”
The family has also had support through Tiny Lives Trust, another charity which plays a vital role helping families in hospital. Phillippa added that meeting Princess Anne had been an amazing memory to make. She said: “It was really brilliant. We were told there would be an opportunity for a family to get to meet her. It was us as we were one of the longest-term families.
“It will be a story to tell him. Tiny Lives Trust have given us a memory book and we will put this in there. It was a really lovely day, Nathanael was at his most stable. I wish perhaps we could have met her in other circumstances.”
Now, Nathanael is doing better, though still requires “moderate support”. He has been diagnosed with an illness called ROP – retinopathy of prematurity – which could affect his sight, and soon he may be airlifted to Great Ormond Street for further treatment.
Phillippa said that NHS staff in Newcastle had been incredible with them. She said: “You realise how brilliant the teams here are. My son was born weighing just one pound and four ounces. He went to theatre wating 645 grams and had a lifesaving operation.
“The staff here are always here, they’re always looking to care for you. They make you feel like your are the priority, not just another number.”
Senior sister Amy Wenn has been among those looking after Nathanael. She said babies like him have “been through so much”. She added: “But they are little fighters. Nathanael has been through more than most adults ever go through. Really, it’s the babies that do the hard work. We just support them, helping them to keep going.”
Princess Anne’s visit came on a trip to the North East which saw her visit the RVI and then Colman’s Seafood Temple in South Shields. At the hospital she visited the birthing centre, the neonatal intensive care unit, the fetal medicine service and a specialist facility for bereaved parents called the Halcyon Suite. She then unveiled a plaque to mark the visit outside Newcastle birthing centre.
After the visit, director of midwifery Jenna Wall, who led the tour, said: “It was an honour to welcome The Princess Royal and a wonderful experience for everyone. Colleagues are incredibly proud of the work we do to support babies and families from across Newcastle and the wider region – it was lovely to showcase the unit and the fantastic care provided here.”
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