A MUM has revealed her heartache after her daughter suffered a deadly stroke that left her blind and in constant pain.
Little Skylar McLean was hours from death when she was rushed to hospital when she was just six weeks old.
She was born via emergency C-section after complications during her birthm but was allowed home days later with no health concerns.
When she was six-weeks-old she became unwell and suffered a deadly brain bleed.
Skylar was put in an induced coma but suffered devastating brain damage which left her blind, suffering constant pain and unable to smile.
Mum Sue Hornsey, 38, said: “Skylar used to smile so much, but now she’s in daily pain and has awful muscle spasms.
“Every so often, we see a little smirk when she’s happy and calm, and that gives us hope.
“If we could have one Christmas wish it would be to see our girl smile again. That’s when we’d know that we’re on the right track, and that all her medicine is working.”
Following a heart attack in 2015, Sue, who also has a son, Joel, 14, from a previous relationship, needed extra scans during her pregnancy.
She had a textbook pregnancy with Skylar, before going into labour at home in February 2018, by then nine days overdue.
Heading straight to hospital, her contractions were becoming closer and closer together when doctors discovered Skylar had emptied her bowels while still in the womb.
In extreme cases this can be dangerous as the faeces, known as meconium, may be inhaled and can enter the baby’s airways.
“Skylar’s heart rate was also dropping, so I was taken down for an emergency caesarean section,” said Sue.
“She came out covered in green meconium, but I barely got a proper look at her, as she was whisked straight to the special care baby unit.
“I finally got to see her hours later, but she had stabilised by then and seemed much better.”
Three days later Sue and Skylar were allowed home.
At first, she seemed perfectly healthy and would often smile away at her smitten parents.
But then, when she was six weeks old, she suddenly started being sick.
“She couldn’t keep anything down. We consulted doctors and were initially reassured,” said Sue.
“But then, she started to shake, as if having a spasm.
“We just got straight in the car and drove over to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
“They were amazing, they immediately leapt into action.
“They ran urgent tests, then broke the news to us that Skylar had suffered a brain bleed.
“They also said if we hadn’t come in when we did and had left it overnight, she may not be here now. It was such a horrendous shock.”
Skylar was placed in an induced coma, to give her body a chance to recover, while medics drained her brain.
Unconscious for eight days, her parents kept a vigil at her bedside.
“Every minute of each of those days we didn’t know if our beautiful little girl was going to make it. We couldn’t even hold her,” said Sue.
Eventually, doctors began to bring Skylar round, gradually reducing her sedatives before removing her ventilator, to see if she could breathe independently.
But she has been left with lasting brain damage, as well as diabetes, cerebral palsy, a lifelong condition affecting movement and co-ordination, and dystonia, where muscles painfully and uncontrollably spasm.
“We never left her side. Duncan would drive the 60 mile round trip to work and back every day,” said Sue.
“We still don’t know the extent of the brain damage, and won’t for some time. It’s all a case of wait and see.
“The doctors think now that it’s possible that part of Skylar’s brain wasn’t properly developed or that the blood could have been on her brain before she was even born.
“That, or it happened at some point during the traumatic delivery. We don’t know, though. Maybe we never will.”
SIGNS OF A STROKE IN CHILDREN
A stroke occurring at any time from 29 days old up to the age of 18 is classed as a childhood stroke.
The causes and the effects of a stroke are likely to be different depending on how old the child is.
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. There are two main types of stroke:
- Ischaemic strokes are caused by a blockage in the blood supply to the brain
- Haemorrhagic strokes occur when blood leaks from a burst blood vessel into the brain.
Both types of stroke are equally common in children, but in adults 85 per cent of strokes are ischaemic.
Children can also have a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), which happens when the brain’s blood supply is interrupted for a very brief time. The symptoms only last for a few minutes or hours and then completely disappear, usually within 24 hours.
Stroke in babies (during pregnancy to within 28 days after birth) can be caused by clots breaking off from the placenta and lodging in the baby’s brain, or because of a blood clotting disorder that the mother or baby may have.
Strokes in children from 29 days to 18 years are often associated with existing conditions, most commonly congenital heart disease and sickle cell disease (SCD).
Other risk factors include:
- Infections or diseases
- Trauma to the head or neck
- Vascular problems
- Blood disorders.
In many cases of childhood stroke, there’s more than one risk factor.
A stroke can also affect previously healthy children and in some cases, there can be no apparent cause.
After they were sent home Sue and Duncan tried to care for Skylar on their own, but were struggling to keep up with all her needs.
Then, through some community nurses, they were put in touch with Keech Hospice Care where they went for a three day assessment in June 2018.
“That also gave us a little respite,” said Sue.
“They were absolutely incredible. They changed her pain medication, and the new one seems to be much more effective.
“Before, she’d scrunch her little hands up when she was in agony, but she doesn’t now.”
Although she does not live full time at the hospice, Skylar returns regularly for appointments and staff are always on hand to offer support to Sue and Duncan.
“There’s no way we could have coped without Keech. They do all sorts, from hydrotherapy, which Skylar does every week, to speech and language therapy,” Sue added.
“She is also registered blind, but they have a sensory room she loves to play in.
“You can call them any time, day or night, and they are there. They’ve even introduced us to other parents like us, so we know we aren’t alone.
MORE IN HEALTH
“I was getting to the point where I didn’t even want to go out with Skylar, as she’d scream and cry so much, but at Keech, people understand. It’s a place where you can go to feel human for a few hours.”
Now, as they hope that 2019 will bring the return of Skylar’s lovely smile, Sue and Duncan are also appealing for people to donate to Keech Hospice Care this Christmas.
“I can’t even put in to words how grateful we are. I hope other parents, after reading what we’ve been through, will see how important it is to speak out and find out what sort of help is available near them.
“Sometimes you just need someone to talk to when you don’t know what to do.”
To donate to Keech Hospice Care this Christmas visit www.keech.org.uk/donate
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News Pictures Mum’s heartache as six-week-old baby suffers stroke leaving her blind, in pain and unable to smile
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