Against ALL ODDS

When Vicky Marshall’s baby Louisa was born gasping for breath, she knew their fight was just beginning

- VERONIQUE HAWKSWORTH

As a mother, it’s a moment you wait for with anticipation, happiness and excitement. As your newborn baby is passed to you, that first cuddle, the first time you make eye contact with the human you’ve nurtured and grown for the last nine months, is the most wonderful feeling you can experience. I felt it when my son Oliver was born in August 2017. After years of longing for him, and years of gruelling IVF treatment, I felt that incredible rush of love as he was placed into my arms.

So when I fell pregnant again in 2021, after yet more IVF, I couldn’t wait to experience it all over again. Louisa arrived in January 2022, but straight away, it was clear something was wrong. Instead of getting that first precious cuddle, she was quickly whisked away by midwives. She was struggling to breathe.

My partner Dave and I were told by nurses to stay patient. We tried not to worry, but time ticked on and before we knew it, we’d been waiting three hours and I’d not even caught a glimpse of my daughter’s face. I was so upset, crying to Dave and asking doctors for updates. What was going on? Where was my baby?

Feeling helpless

Eventually the doctor returned with a grave expression. Dave squeezed my hand, anticipating bad news. She softly explained that they hadn’t managed to secure a safe airway for Louisa. She couldn’t breathe independently, and they were struggling to even help her take aided breaths. We were warned to prepare for the worst.

Neither Dave or I could stop the tears – we were both distraught. We’d not even met our daughter yet, but we were being told we could lose her. It was agonising.