Tough road ahead for Tasmanian boy who is defying doctors’ odds
Being told your newborn baby has just days to live is a nightmare no parent should ever have to endure. But this was reality for a Penguin couple, who reveal how their little boy is defying all odds.
Tasmania
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BEING told your baby has just days to live is a nightmare no parent should ever have to endure.
But for Penguin couple Maddison Murdoch and Isaac Troughton who heard these words, their whole world crumbled as they bundled up their three-month-old son to take him home to spend their last days as a family together.
Ms Murdoch went into spontaneous labour at just 24 weeks, with a team immediately flying from the Royal Hobart Hospital to Burnie help deliver the tiny boy.
Baby Lawson was born at 6.25pm on July 21, 2019 weighing just 790 grams and was immediately flown to Hobart.
The first night of tiny Lawson’s life was spent without his parents, who had to make the heart-wrenching drive south the next day.
“That first night when I was in Burnie and he was in Hobart was awful,” Ms Murdoch recalled.
Within a couple of days, Lawson had a haemorrhage in his lungs which caused a brain bleed and severe brain damage.
After many complicated procedures, treatments and five operations over three months, the new parents were told their little boy would be placed in palliative care.
“On the 29th of October – a Tuesday – we came home after being told he had three days to live. That was very confronting,” Ms Murdoch said.
“The hospital was amazing; they sent us home with everything he needed including a feeding tube.”
But after three days, their little boy was still here.
A few more days passed. Then a few weeks.
Lawson was defying the odds.
Three weeks after he was sent home, the family returned to hospital and Lawson’s feeding tube was removed.
Doctors were mystified.
Today, his parents are planning Lawson’s first birthday party.
“We’ve booked the Penguin Surf Club and because COVID restrictions are easing, it will be a great family gathering,” Ms Murdoch said excitedly.
Lawson’s parents are still preparing for many more challenges ahead, though.
Over time, he will develop severe cerebral palsy and will be a quadriplegic. He’s also blind in his right eye.
“But he’s still here,” his mum says tearfully. “After multiple doctors telling us he’d never survive.”
He’s beginning to gain control in his head and his arms and legs are getting stronger each day – a result of regular physiotherapy and OT.
“Lawson is also now eating solid food; he loves fruit and Arrowroot biscuits, sweet potato and chicken,” Ms Murdoch said.
Mum and dad take turns juggling Lawson’s around-the-clock care, with Mr Troughton a chef who usually works nights and can help care for Lawson while Ms Murdoch works part-time from home.
“My mum lives here in Penguin so she will quite often have Lawson while I work and all our friends and family have been an amazing support network,” she said.
“I couldn’t believe our community. We didn’t want a GoFundMe page or anything but Isaac’s in a running club and they decided to do a fundraiser so we have a lot of support.
“I feel really sorry for those parents who don’t because I really feel that’s what’s gotten us through.”
Ronald McDonald House was also a saviour for the Troughtons while they moved to Hobart so Lawson could receive the best care possible at the Royal.
“We had a visit from Guy Sebastian during his visit for the ball, his foundation gave everyone in the house gift cards,” Ms Murdoch said.
“We had people from the Rotary come and cook for us, so I’d come home, have a lovely meal someone had prepared for me and then rush back to the hospital.
“We always say we hate the circumstances of how we met everyone who helped us on this journey but I’m glad we did as we now have that support group with the other NICU mums and Ronald McDonald.
“And the NICU staff just made a crappy situation bearable, they didn’t try to sugar-coat things and also did things for us like taking photos and handprints and writing messages so we have little mementos.”
Ms Murdoch said it was hard to describe what it’s like taking it just one day at a time with her baby boy.
“We’ve had our days. I won’t lie and say some days are better than others,” she said.
“Some days I think ‘why me, why did this happen?’
“But he’s here. And he’s our miracle.”
Read about other Tassie Miracle Bubs and vote for them in a special gallery as part of our Tassie’s Cutest Bub search at www.themercury.com.au
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