Its world prematurity day on Sunday. I bet most of you would not know that, or that the theme as always is the colour purple. How many of you dress in green for St Patricks day? How many dress in purple for prematurity day? Not many I bet.
Prematurity and disablity are all around us, we have all read the stories in magazines and newspapers, and have even watched the moving programs on television about children born sick and early and disabled children. We read the magazine, watch the program, speak about that friend of a friend whose child had to spend time in SCBU, or who was born early. Most of us feel empathy for the children and their parents and families but then we read the next story about Kate and William, watch Eastenders and there the thought ends.
The truth is we dont think about things happening to us - until we have to. We dont get to read the total truth about what is it like to have a child who is born too sick, too early, who is disabled.
Parenthood is a journey, it is its own rollercoaster, it is just that when you your child is very very ill it becomes more of the scary "I want to get off" rollercoasters you will find at Alton Towers as opposed to the small little ones you will find in your nearest seaside town.
You dont read about times that parents have sunken into a heap, crying and crying and hoping and hoping their child will get better. How thinking that perhaps if I am better person, if I dont walk past that piece of rubbish on the street and instead pick it up and place in the nearest bin, perhaps my child will live.
What we do read about is the miracles, the wonderful delightful children who go through so much and come out the other side smiling and happy. As we now know, it doesnt always happen.
This Sunday take a moment to wonder what it might be like if you had a baby born so early, like Ethan. Think purple.
In the meantime I will write the full account of Ethan's story and I hope you will all read it.
XX
Prematurity and disablity are all around us, we have all read the stories in magazines and newspapers, and have even watched the moving programs on television about children born sick and early and disabled children. We read the magazine, watch the program, speak about that friend of a friend whose child had to spend time in SCBU, or who was born early. Most of us feel empathy for the children and their parents and families but then we read the next story about Kate and William, watch Eastenders and there the thought ends.
The truth is we dont think about things happening to us - until we have to. We dont get to read the total truth about what is it like to have a child who is born too sick, too early, who is disabled.
Parenthood is a journey, it is its own rollercoaster, it is just that when you your child is very very ill it becomes more of the scary "I want to get off" rollercoasters you will find at Alton Towers as opposed to the small little ones you will find in your nearest seaside town.
You dont read about times that parents have sunken into a heap, crying and crying and hoping and hoping their child will get better. How thinking that perhaps if I am better person, if I dont walk past that piece of rubbish on the street and instead pick it up and place in the nearest bin, perhaps my child will live.
What we do read about is the miracles, the wonderful delightful children who go through so much and come out the other side smiling and happy. As we now know, it doesnt always happen.
This Sunday take a moment to wonder what it might be like if you had a baby born so early, like Ethan. Think purple.
In the meantime I will write the full account of Ethan's story and I hope you will all read it.
XX