A little boy born nine weeks early is spending his first Christmas at home – with his family calling it the “best present we could possibly wish for”.
Chellsy Manning, 36, gave birth to son Isaac Manning-Young in February – nine weeks before his due date and weighing just 3lbs 1oz.
The tot, from Southend, Essex, was seriously ill with a number of complex conditions due to being born so early.
The family went through countless hospital stays and transfers in the first few months of Isaac’s life.
Isaac also underwent a surgery to repair a double hernia at five months – adding more stress to the lives of Chellsy and her partner, Simon Young, 34, a product development manager.
Against the odds, resilient Isaac is now home in time for his first Christmas.
Chellsy, a stay-at-home mum, said: “Every day, he surprises us with his strength.
“We feel deeply grateful for the support we received along the way, which helped us get to this point.
“We are so excited about spending Christmas together as a family.”
Isaac’s tough start in life began when mum Chellsy was admitted to hospital for severe pre-eclampsia when she was 29 weeks pregnant.
Concerned doctors quickly transferred her to Broomfield Hospital, where Isaac was delivered three days later.
Tiny Isaac was immediately taken to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Over the next year, the family would undergo countless hospital stays and transfers.
They were supported throughout by The Sick Children’s Trust – a charity providing support to families of seriously ill children.
Throughout Isaac’s intense medical journey, his family were fortunate enough to be given accommodation in two of the charity’s “homes from home”.
This gave them a comfortable and private space close to the hospitals where Isaac was being treated.
Chellsy said: “Looking back, we genuinely don’t know how we would have managed without The Sick Children’s Trust.
“They gave us a stable, supportive environment where we could be present for Isaac, even when everything felt out of control, which was crucial for our mental wellbeing.
“We were helped by the charity twice during Isaac’s first weeks of life and we will forever be grateful to them”.
With Isaac doing well and as resilient as ever, the family is now looking forward to their first Christmas together.
Chellsy said: “We know there are far more babies out there that have had worse journeys than Isaac.
“Without The Sick Children’s Trust, god knows what we would have done.
“I cannot put it into words about how incredibly grateful and happy we both are about celebrating his first Christmas, especially the fact that he is healthy.”
She added: “It is the best present we could possibly wish for.”
