Little Maya has had an extremely tough start to life, diagnosed in-utero with spina bifida, Hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain), Club Feet and Arnold Chiari malformation.
Maya was born by emergency caesarean at 36 weeks gestation and spent almost four months in Mater Mothers’ Hospital Neonatal Critical Care Unit and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Mater Children’s Hospital.
At only 24 hours old, Maya had back surgery for her spina bifida, and then at two weeks old had brain surgery to extract fluid.
Maya suffered many other health complications throughout her first year of life and spent 90 per cent of it at Mater which became her second home.
Maya’s now five and enjoying prep at her special school three days a week—although she still lives with heart complications, epilepsy, asthma, anaemia, hypoglycaemia, a portacath and spinal rods in her back to help with scoliosis.
Maya’s mum Rebecca says, “Without the expertise and high level of skills of Mater staff, my little girl wouldn’t be here today. I will always be extremely grateful for the ongoing exceptional care that Mater has provided to Maya and I feel very blessed to have had access to a hospital that could give her a fighting chance.”
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