Banksie-Blu clings to life in Royal Children’s Hospital

A problem free pregnancy and the safe arrival of a Bundaberg couple’s baby daughter has become a living nightmare as she fights for life in a Brisbane hospital.

Bundaberg Hospital.

The family of a baby girl in the fight of her young life say they knew something was not right when they left hospital three days after her birth.

Mum Jessica Matthew had a problem-free pregnancy with little Banksie-Blu, who was born on October 7, 2022.

But a day after being discharged from the Bundaberg Hospital it was clear Banksie-Blu was in trouble, her family says.

She was sent home with her mum and dad, Josh Dowse-Duckett, on October 10, even though she had not been feeding or passing urine, her grandmother Debbie Brady said.

“The base let her go home after three days, but we had a feeling something wasn’t quite right as they let her go home without feeding or weeing,” Mrs Brady said.

Within 24 hours of getting home it was clear something was seriously wrong as Banksie-Blu became increasingly unresponsive.

Her parents rushed her back to hospital, where they were told she might not make the flight to Brisbane, where she needed to go for the care she required.

But Banksie-Blu survived that flight and within two hours was diagnosed with two holes in her heart, an interrupted aortic arch and a ventricular septal defect.

She was rushed into surgery and a piece of heart from an organ donor was used to fix the holes.

Since then, Banksie-Blu has clung to life in the intensive care unit of the Queensland Children’s Hopspital.

“The staff at the hospital said they have never seen a baby in the hospital as sick as Banksie,” Mrs Brady said.

Banksie-Blu is now awaiting the return of Dr Prem Venugopal to close her chest following the surgery, and remains under 24-hour care.

Due to her heart not pumping blood as it should be, her outer extremities and lower limbs have been starved of oxygen and will need to be amputated.

Once she is stable enough for surgery, her legs, hands and possibly her arms will be amputated, her grandmother said.

“Fortunately, there wasn’t any oxygen cut off to her brain, but they are still checking brain activity,” she said.

The family is taking one day at a time, but Mrs Brady said every day, Banksie-Blu surprised them.

“Her liver, thank god, is starting to regenerate a little bit.

“We have been told worse case scenario when the time comes the hospital staff will call it and every time they say that the little possum does something to surprise everyone.”

Since starting her Go Fund Me for the family Mrs Brady said it had been great to provide a safety net for the family so they could afford to pay rent and medical bills.

“She will need help for the rest of her life,” she said.

A Bundaberg Hospital spokesman said they hoped everything works out well for Banskie-Blu and her family, and that the hospital was standing by to provide support once they are able to come home.

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service chief executive Debbie Carroll said the service strove “to provide care, connection and compassion for all, prioritising the health and safety of our patients and communities”.

“In line with this, we are bound by a strict duty of confidentiality and we are unable to comment on individual patients or consumers of the health service, including in this instance,” she said.

“We will work with the patient’s family to determine what support they require and how we can help achieve this during this incredibly difficult time.”