A FAMILY want to thank a children’s charity after their son was taken ill with meningitis at ten weeks old.

Ellie Hardwick-Brice and Ryan Davies welcomed their fourth son Joseph in March but faced every parents worst nightmare with a series of health issues.

At birth he spent a week in the hospital with a suspected infection and was treated with antibiotics before being sent home happy and healthy.

A few weeks later things took a turn for the worst, as baby Joseph started to refuse his bottles and at ten weeks, he was admitted into hospital again.

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After getting all clear from the doctors, the family went on a day trip to Barry Island as the baby perked up but after returning home during the evening, he started to become lethargic and struggling to breath.

This prompted the parents to call 111 for advice which lead to an ambulance being called to the family home to take the baby to the University of Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

Mum Ellie from Caerphilly, recalls the frightening moment her son passed out during the ambulance trip to hospital.

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She said: “It was frightening, we didn’t know how serious it was. The ambulance crew took it seriously and took him straight to the hospital.

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“He was lethargic and made a funny noise when breathing, then he stopped breathing in the ambulance and few hours later he was in the intensive care unit.

“He had cannulas in his arteries, lumbar punctures, blood transfusions and other tests and we found out he had meningitis.

“When they tried to wake him, he started having seizures and his brain has swelling due to the pockets of fluid.

“It was such a shock when we found out as he didn’t have the rash associated with meningitis, so it’s been a horrible whirlwind, but we are glad he’s okay.”

The following evening, he was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis, a rare form of meningitis that doesn’t show the same symptoms as other types.

During her sons stay on Island Ward at the Noak’s Ark Children’s Hospital the family were offered accommodation at the Ronald McDonald House across the road.

The Cardiff house recently celebrated it’s fifth anniversary and has facilities for up to 30 families including kitchen, storage space, laundry room and social areas.

The 29-year-old mum would like to say thank you to the charity for looking after her and her family during her son’s care.

She added: “We would like to say thank you to all the staff involved in my son’s care. We didn’t know the charity existed and when your in a rush you forget things.

“All I picked up was his baby bag and nothing else, they offered everything we needed from deodorant to Pyjamas for the children, they provided food and were there if you needed to talk.

“They made a big fuss of my children as they were able to stay, they gave them beds in the room and even gave them ice lollies.

“There was a Scottish nurse called Sheila who really took care of him, but they were all good to be honest.

“Even the nurses who weren’t looking after him would pop in to see how he was doing. One of the nurses was so worried she text the nurses on the night shift to see how he was getting on.

“They even gave my eldest son birthday presents and offered him a tea party on his birthday.”

 

South Wales Argus: Joseph at home with three brothers Joseph at home with three brothers

Now the mother of four plans to give back to the Ronald McDonald house by raising money for them. She also plans to raise money by doing the Superhero Dash or a bake sale.

She added: “We would like to do some fundraising to say thank you, but I don’t know where to start as we have only been out of the hospital for three weeks.

“We will investigate some ideas and see what we can do, we might do the Superhero Dash and set up a page to help donate or a bake sale.

“My partner's mother works in a school so she may do something to help, we will ask the school when the kids go back.

“The charity is something you never think of, but it is a godsend that they are there.”

Discover more about Ronald McDonald house charity here