One night, 15th May 1995 I could not understand why the nursing staff was leaving the heart monitor on to listen to my baby for so long. Then I found out in a hurry. The baby's heart rate dropped dramatically and then it was all on. I was immediately rushed to surgery for a c-section and at this stage I was 26 weeks.

I remember waking and being totally scared to ask if my baby was OK - I couldn't ask!

My husband was soon back with me and I was still under the effects of the anesthetic and told me our baby was in the NICU.

Hywel Jnr was 720 grams and at that stage I knew little of his condition. I saw him the next day and could not think for a moment that he was not going to make it but he had a huge battle and the odds were not that good. I just prayed and prayed as I could do little else.

We also try to follow up any connections and keep in contact when the baby goes home as this can be just as scary a time for the parents.

Not everybody needs to talk with one of our members but it is important that they know we are there.

In the past year our NNICUPS mums have spoken to parents within the NICU, up on the wards, during the Bushbabies group, and also once they are at home.

Our little baby, Hywel Jnr was a real fighter! He overcame so many hurdles and to be honest, I have forgotten some of them. The major challenges that he went through were being fully ventilated for a long time. Every time he went to c-pap, he would have to go back to fully ventilated, as his little under-developed lungs could not cope. He had a grade 3 brain bleed and suffered from sleep apnea. He had an infection or two along the way.

At 2 months of age and still not yet 1kg in weight he was transferred to Westmead Hospital to have a bilateral hernia repaired. He stayed down there for about two weeks and then was transferred back to Nepean. The day of his hernia operation, 13th July 1995 was one of the most difficult days I had to endure. The not knowing if he was going to be ok - still after two months of age.

After all of that and much care he slowly but surely grew enough and was healthy enough to bring home. He had been in hospital 4 months and 1 day. He still needed a small amount of oxygen and sometimes didn't breathe so he came home on oxygen and a apnea mat.

It was terrifying bringing him home as I felt I needed to watch him 24 hours a day and when that apnea mat alarmed and it did many times a day and night, it was exhausting.

For the first year at home, I found it extremely difficult being sleep deprived for long periods of time. My life consisted of many appointments with our wonderful pediatrician Dr Hardwick and other appointments with physios etc. All this has lead to us being totally blessed by the most beautiful boy anyone could ask for!!

He beat the odds and I truly didn't believe that until after he turned one and was off the apnea mat and oxygen.

Hywel Jnr is so precious to us and he has come along way in his development. He has taught us so much and they say everything happens for a reason and I know that I am a very patient person now having gone through this experience with him. I also recognize all the blessing that I have in my life on a daily basis. He is "my boy" but he also loves to spend quality time with his Dad, which does happen often.

There is no way Mum would take him camping in a tent in the bush, so Dad does that! Hywel is now a very happy, healthy 11 years old and has such a beautiful caring, gentle personality and a great sense of humour. He loves school, scouts, going out bush with his Dad, having his friends over, playing X-box and playing with his new puppy, Nellie. He also has to sleep with his light on and avoids sleep if he can and I sure that's a premmie baby thing.

After about 4 years, I was expecting another very much wanted baby. This pregnancy went much better although it was very stressful for me going through the 20 to 30 week period of pregnancy worrying if the same thing was going to happen. We got through that and at 35 weeks, I went into labour.

We got through that and at 35 weeks, I went into labour. I rang Hywel who was on night shift at the time and he drove me down to Nepean Hospital and our precious little princess, Caitlin was born 3 hours later with a natural birth.

I rang Hywel who was on night shift at the time and he drove me down to Nepean Hospital and our precious little princess, Caitlin was born 3 hours later with a natural birth.

Not too bad I thought at the time!

The crisis was yet to come.

12 hours after her birth I was told that something was wrong. I could not believe it as she looked absolutely fine. She was 5lb 2oz and I couldn't understand it as her breathing was fine. She had septicemia.

After about a week she started to pick up and was able to come home after 3 weeks of being in the NICU.

A week after being home and screaming day and night, Caitlin had blood in her bowels. I then knew what the screaming was about which was just awful. She was is so much pain with her tummy and after being admitted to hospital at Katoomba; we found that she was allergic to soy, milk and egg.

So big changes in my diet as I was breast-feeding and it took a while but things settled down.

The biggest relief was a naturopath recommending "Slippery Elm" before she had her solid meals at about 4 months of age. This was a godsend at the time as she could not tolerate the solids at all before this. We had months of sleepless days and nights and exhaustion.

Those months are a total blur. Caitlin has since grown out of the allergies but I think the egg still upsets her and she actually hates them, which is fine.

Again all I could do was pray at this stage.

The wonderful doctors did everything they could although they did not know what they were up against as every test (many of them), came back negative.
In the end, they simply gave Caitlin a lot of different antibiotics hoping that one of them would rectify the problem.

Caitlin is our precious little princess and her nickname is "kisser" as she is very affectionate. She is now 6 years of age and quite outgoing and very talented. She loves school, playing with her friends and contemporary dancing (she's a natural). She loves pink and all the girly things and loves being with Mummy. She adores her big brother & Daddy and also her pet rabbit, Flip (the flop eared rabbit).

We are very blessed to have these two beautiful children and we thank God every day for them. We also thank the wonderful staff of Nepean NICU for without such expert care the outcomes could have been a lot different.