The proud Wirral parents of tiny triplets, who each weighed less than a bag of sugar when they were born at 29 weeks, will be forever grateful to the medics who saved the lives of their babies.
Rylee, Skye and Cole Ellison were delivered over 10 weeks early on 3rd February 2016 at Wirral Women and Children’s Hospital after their mother was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a condition that causes high blood pressure and can lead to serious problems for both mother and baby. After spending more than two months at Arrowe Park’s Neonatal Unit where they overcame numerous challenges, the determined little siblings were able to mark their official due date by settling into family life at their home in Bromborough.
Following fertility treatment, parents Kerrie-Anne Anderson and Simon Ellison were shocked but delighted at discovering they were expecting triplets. However, six months into the pregnancy, a routine scan showed that the blood flow to one of their babies, a little boy, was starting to reduce, putting his life and potentially those of his two sisters at risk.
As well as pre-eclampsia, Kerrie-Anne had developed a rare disorder that affects the liver during pregnancy and had also started to experience contractions. She was admitted to Wirral Women and Children’s Hospital, where she was closely monitored for three weeks and given medication to advance the babies’ development. However, just 29 weeks into her pregnancy, doctors made the life-saving decision to deliver the triplets after the situation started to deteriorate.
Kerrie-Anne, 33, explained: “It all happened so fast. The doctors made a very quick decision and acted almost straight away. Our daughter Rylee was born first weighing 2.1lbs, closely followed by her brother Cole and sister Skye, who both weighed just over 1lb. I heard the babies cry briefly and their dad managed to see them before they were rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. They all needed help to breathe for the first couple of months and also had to be tube-fed as they were born so early.
“It was very hard but the staff were so supportive and went out of their way to answer any questions we had. I was able to touch the babies in their incubators and when they were about a week old, I got to hold them for the first time. That was a very special moment.”
Kerri-Anne and Simon managed to juggle caring for their new babies with looking after their 12 year old daughter, Paige, who has proven to be a natural with her brother and sisters. The triplets grew stronger each day but faced a number of challenges along the way. Recalling some of the toughest moments, Dad, Simon said: “Cole has needed more support than the girls and had to have several blood transfusions while we were in hospital, which was difficult.
“There was also a scary moment where Rylee had problems breathing about three weeks after she was born and doctors had to urgently intervene. It was terrifying but the doctors and nurses were brilliant throughout. The hospital has felt like a temporary home and despite my best attempts to persuade some of the staff to leave with us, they declined!”
Upon leaving hospital, mum Kerrie-Anne said: “We are certainly going to have our hands full but I feel so blessed as the situation could have turned out very differently. We are really lucky to have a neonatal intensive care unit on our doorstep as not every area has one. I cannot thank the hospital enough. They have looked after us all so well at every stage.”
Rylee, Skye and Cole have since celebrated their first birthday, having come a long way since leaving Wirral’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Reflecting on their journey, Simon said: “The unit at Arrowe Park is a truly special place, not only medically but all the brilliant staff as well.
We will be forever grateful for everything they have done for our family. People don’t really think about premature babies and everything that goes along with it.”
