Jessie and Sienna Symington born at 31 weeks, spend weeks at NICU at Gold Coast University Hospital
"No, it's not mean to be like this" - a Gold Coast mum has shared her heartbreaking birth story after her twin girls were born weeks early.
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
NEWBORN twins Jessie and Sienna Symington couldn’t wait until 2021 to meet their sisters — arriving nine weeks early at just 31 weeks of age.
Mum Kylie said she felt a bit of cramping and her husband Chris suggested they leave home for Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH), which they did at 12.30pm on November 8.
Her babies were born just hours later at 4.55pm and 5.12pm.
“They said, ‘you are fully dilated, you can push and have your babies’. And I thought, no it’s not meant to be like this,” said Mrs Symington, a nurse at GCUH on maternity leave.
Jessie, weighing 1850 grams at birth, and Sienna, weighing 1590 grams, were taken to the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where they were given respiratory support.
“They were in their humidicribs but they were getting too hot for them so we popped them in a twin cot on Wednesday and they have been doing really well,” said the mother of four.
“I feel pretty special because they are little miracle babies and are doing so well.”
November 27 is Thank U NICU Day and November is NICU Awareness Month, a chance to highlight the fact every year in Australia 48,000 babies are born premature and sick.
The GCUH’s Newborn Care Unit, that includes NICU and the Special Care Nursery (SCN), has had 1113 admissions as of November 17 this year, with 390 babies born prematurely and 21 born extremely prematurely, before 28 weeks.
The smallest baby admitted weighed 520g and the Newborn Care Unit (NCU) team has cared for 20 babies weighing less than 1000 grams — the same weight as a litre of milk.
Last year there were about 1300 babies in the unit with one-third of them born prematurely and 21 born at less than 28 weeks’ gestation.
Clinical nurse consultant for the NCU Julie Dunsmuir said the biggest challenge was dealing with the emotions that families had around the care of their babies, how sick they were and helping them to understand that.
“And then as the babies are getting better and moving to the SCN, it’s helping the parents realise this is their baby and they will be the ones who get to care for them as opposed to the nurses and the doctors and the staff looking after their baby.”
Babies are transferred to GCUH from around south east Queensland and Northern NSW by road and helicopter and they’re transferred back by air.
GCUH is one of the only hospitals in Australia and the only Level 6 unit in Queensland that has a single-family room configuration. This allows a dedicated space for parents to utilise in their babies’ room so that they can be a constant part of the care.
There is also a Ronald McDonald room in the NCU staffed by volunteers, it offers accommodation in emergency situations so parents can remain close but also have time out.
Preterm babies are usually in the NCU until the time they were due to be born, this is January 7 in the case of Jessie and Sienna, but it’s expected the twins will be home in time for Christmas.
“I have never left the hospital feeling like I should still be there. I feel like they are being cared for as I would care for them,” said Mrs Symington.
“I just want to say a massive thank you to the nurses in NICU and Special Care, without them, Jessie and Sienna wouldn’t be kicking goals every day.”
SMOKING CEREMONY AT GCUH - Nov 5
Newborn babies took part in a special Welcome Baby to Country ceremony at Gold Coast University Hospital Parklands on Thursday morning.
The Gold Coast Health event, organised by Waijungbah Jarjums Midwifery Service, aims to connect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to country and culture.
The midwifery service was piloted from January to June this year with the aim of connecting Aboriginal and Torres Islander parents with an Aboriginal and Torres Islander midwife, child health nurse and health worker from conception to the first 1000 days.
During this time 50 women accessed the service, including Nerida Brewer, whose four-month-old son Ezra was welcomed to country by being carried through smoke in a traditional smoking ceremony and then painted with ochre.
Ms Brewer said her experience with Waijungbah Jarjums for the birth and care of her son Ezra was quite different to her experience when giving birth to her eldest daughter Angel thanks to a greater cultural understanding.
“Speaking your midwife feels more like talking with a friend. You don’t feel judged,” she said.
“My grandfather is Kombumerri from here on the Gold Coast. It’s nice to start that connection to country for Ezra early. It makes me proud and it’s important to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land."
The event as also a memorable one for six-month-old Boston Cox’s parents Purdey and David.
“You don’t always get to connect with community, you just get busy with daily life and work,” said Mrs Cox, “So it was really beautiful to come and be a part of it and meet other people.”
The proud parents also used Waijungbah Jarjums Midwifery Service, a new service for Gold Coast Health.
Mr Cox said he valued the service’s inclusion of fathers through the Deadly Dads program. That included learning to play the didgeridoo, painting and making boomerangs, but morethan that, it was being able to connect with other Indigenous fathers.
“Just having a yarn, everyone is talking about where they have come from and what journey they are on,” he said.
The mothers’ yarning group connected through basket and jewellery making with local aunties.
Service leader and clinical midwife consultant Cassandra Nest led the co-design and development of the Waijungbah Jarjums model of care alongside the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of the Gold Coast.
"Waijungbah Jarjums is one of the only services in Gold Coast Health that has been built from the ground up alongside the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community,” she said.
“When we look at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander view of health, it is a holistic view. It encompasses social and emotional health as well as the health and wellbeing of the individual and the community. Days like today, strengthen the community.”
The Waijungbah Jarjums model of care offers continuity of care meaning families have the same midwife throughout their journey and care for the first 1000 days after birth. For the Cox family, this has meant their midwife became a part of the family.
Beyond strengthening cultural connections, the service has changed families’ experiences with Gold Coast Health and improved outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies.
“We found our women were more likely to attend antenatal appointments because of the engagement they had with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander midwife,” said Ms Nest.
“The women were more likely to have an antenatal appointment in the first 12 weeks and they were less likely to smoke.
“Our mums were six times less likely to have their baby prematurely which is important because it is one of the most difficult things to make an impact on.
“We have been able to make an immense difference in a short amount of time.”
Facts about the Waijungbah Jarjums Midwifery Service:
The service currently has five midwives, a clinical midwife consultant, two child health nurses and two health workers.
Women who participated in the pilot were more likely to attend antenatal appointments because of the engagement they had with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Midwife.
They were also more likely to attend an antenatal appointment in the first 12 weeks and were:
- Were less likely to smoke
- Six times less likely to have their baby prematurely
- 11 times less likely to have low birth weight baby
- Less likely to have a baby admitted to the NICU which saved more than 400 beds days and $1.5 million for the health service
- more likely to experience a spontaneous vaginal birth
- less likely to have an assisted birth
- less likely to have a caesarean section
- around 19 times more likely to attend more than 5 antenatal visits, and 14 times more likely to have an antenatal appointment within 12 weeks of gestation
- 11 times less likely to have a low birth weight baby
- 4 times more likely to breastfeed at birth
- approximately 5 times less likely to have a premature birth
Jarjums born to mothers who received WJMGP care were:
- nearly 6 times less likely to be born prematurely
- around 5 times less likely to be admitted to Special care nursery
- 17 times less likely to be admitted to NICU - which released over 417 cot days in the Newborn Care Unit and has conservatively reduced over $1.5m of costs.
TWIN BOYS A PAIR OF 'WALKING MIRACLES’
BORN with a rare genetic condition likely to result in the need for kidney transplants before they’re five, Gold Coast twins Louis and Theo Hankey are “walking miracles”.
After months of tests, hospitalisations and medical interventions, doctors diagnosed congenital nephrotic syndrome; a kidney condition that begins in infancy and typically leads to irreversible kidney failure by early childhood.
It’s estimated there’s a 200,000-to-one chance of getting this particular genetic condition and for non-identical twins to both have the same condition is thought to be unheard of.
“We’ve been told they’ll likely need kidney transplants before they’re five, but we’re hoping a medical breakthrough may happen in the meantime,” said dad Jay Hankey.
WOMEN OF GOLD COAST HELP FULFIL ASH’S DYING WISH TO WED
“At one stage we thought they weren’t going to make it past one, but they’re just incredible crazy little dudes who just climb around everywhere. They’re just little troopers and something special, they’re walking miracles.”
The 14-month non-identical brothers have just reached a 10kg milestone, the weight needed before they can accept an adult kidney.
Mr Hankey said his sons spent every other day at Gold Coast University Hospital having lifesaving infusions. The treatment keeps a certain protein at safe levels.
“It was incredibly hard because initially no one knew what was wrong, they were newborns hooked up to machines fighting for their lives. All we could do was be good parents and do everything in our power to be there for them,” he said.
GOLD COAST AUTHOR’S BOOK CAPTURES ATTENTION OF DUCHESS FERGIE
Mr Hankey said the strength his fiance and first-time mum Katherine Allard showed after her sons spent the first seven months of their lives fighting for life was incredible.
“There were times when she basically spent two weeks sleeping at the hospital alongside them, she’s just superhuman in my eyes,” he said.
Arguably the cutest duo to frequent the GCUH, the twins are ambassadors for Scrub Up September, an annual fundraising campaign raising money for sick children.
To support the campaign, Robina Town Centre (RTC) has joined forces with the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation and erected a 7.5m banner, near Sephora, featuring fearless and friendly faces from the hospital.
Between 11am-2pm daily locals can buy a $2 token from volunteers wearing scrubs and write messages of support and encouragement on tokens before they’re placed on the wall.
69YO GOLD COAST FIRST IN WORLD TO GET LIFESAVING STROKE SURGERY
RTC general manager Kathleen Hart said money donated would go towards medical equipment, world-class research and interactive play and sensory areas for Gold Coast hospitals.
“The campaign also shines a light on the incredible healthcare heroes and frontline staff who work tirelessly to care for our community and provide essential health and support services for those in need,” she said.
Hospital foundation chief executive Officer Ben Cox said the one-in-three local children who visited the city’s public hospitals every year needed help now more than ever.
NEW COVID RESTRICTIONS: WHAT YOU CAN & CAN’T DO ON GOLD COAST
“The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped Gold Coast kids getting sick or needing medical treatment,” he said.
As for Louis and Theo, Mr Hankey said it’s hoped they’ll soon be able to receive their lifesaving treatments at home. But in the meantime their smiles and zest for life will likely bring smiles to hospital staff and patients.
“I’m also pretty passionate about raising the awareness of organ donation and of how important it is,” Mr Hankey said.
“There should be a box on your licence that you untick if you don't want to be a donor otherwise it should just be something everybody considers.”
The Mayor and the party people
The Gold Coast Mayor, his wife and Deputy Mayor joined the party crowd at the launch of the latest hotspot to hit Nobby Beach. Full story and photos
Stunned commentator: ‘Never woulda’ thought it – Bernie’s back’
His first significant tennis tournament final in six years - saving match points on the way - has prompted a stunned commentator to announce “Bernie’s back!”. FULL STORY