Nineteen-month-old Olivia is a healthy and inquisitive little girl who showed amazing strength in her start to life.
When her mother Tanya was 24 weeks pregnant she developed early onset pre-eclampsia—a life threatening condition where the only option for survival for both mother and baby is early delivery by caesarean section.
Thankfully, Mater’s Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit was on hand and Olivia was safely delivered at 26 weeks gestation weighing a tiny 750 grams.
However, Olivia then developed a life-threatening bowel infection which required urgent treatment. On top of this, she had an open heart valve and needed medication to help close it.
After two months of intensive treatment in Mater Mothers’ Hospitals’ Neonatal Critical Care Unit, Olivia was transferred to her local hospital for a short time before going home.
Olivia now only comes back to Mater’s Growth and Development Clinic for checkups.
"I’ve never experienced care like the Mater staff gave. They were incredible and looked after myself and Olivia emotionally and physically. You can’t put a price on the gift they’ve given us—to spend each day with our daughter." Tanya said.
Do you have a Mater story to share with us?