Life was great and going to plan. Kirstin was fit, healthy and looking forward to the birth of her second child, Zion, in 12 weeks. She was enjoyinng a typical Saturday... then everything changed in a flash.
Kirstin felt a ‘pop’ and started losing blood—her placenta ruptured, causing Zion to spiral into fetal distress. His heart rate was dropping significantly and fast.
Rushed to hospital with no time to waste, Kirstin delivered Zion by emergency caesarean that night.
Born at 28 weeks, Zion weighed just 840 grams and was too fragile to survive on his own.
“He was so small, so frail—I was so frightened for him,” Kirstin said.
Zion urgently needed medical attention and was transferred to Mater Mothers' Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU), where he received lifesaving, around-the-clock care. For the next 80 days that followed at Mater, Kirstin said, “he was cared for by some of the most outstanding people I have ever met.”
"The first few days of Zion's miracle journey at Mater were a heartbreaking blur for me.
“We sat and watched his incredible body try its hardest to keep going. At one week, Zion crashed, and our hearts sank. He had a massive bleed which covered a quarter of his brain, putting him at significant risk of Cerebral Palsy and other complications.
"Thankfully, he was exactly where he needed to be, with the amazing doctors, nurses and machines at Mater to keep him alive.
“I got my very first Kangaroo cuddle after 15 day—the day after Mother’s Day—it was incredibly emotional. We sat for hours finally experiencing the skin-to-skin contact we both desperately needed,” she said.
In the days and weeks ahead, Zion developed other complications—he received two blood and platelet transfusions and was diagnosed with chronic lung disease. Despite this, as well as fighting a series of infections, Zion started to grow well—he was gaining weight and getting stronger.
“Zion’s lungs were slowly maturing, and after 60 days, he was transferred to high flow oxygen and began to tolerate breast milk. He was opening his eyes to have a look around and could hear us talking and singing to him. He’d turned the corner.
“Those small but vital milestones like bathing, wearing clothes and breastfeeding, were such a celebration, not just for our family but for the staff at Mater as well—we all felt a sense of accomplishment,” she recalled.