Dudley youngster thriving after life saving surgery for rare condition
A Dudley six-year-old who had part of his lung removed is now thriving after treatment at Birmingham Children's Hospital (BCH).
Mum Laura Meredith had never heard of Congenital Lobar Emphysema, a rare lung malformation, until her baby boy was diagnosed just a few days after birth.
The rare and life-threatening disorder refers to an obstruction of the airways which leads to an overinflated lobe or lobes of the lung. It causes severe respiratory distress in newborns and affects one in every 20,000 – 30,000 babies.
After a normal pregnancy, Laura, from Dudley, gave birth to Toby via C-section at Walsall Manor Hospital.
At first, everything appeared normal, but Laura noticed that Toby wasn’t feeding well. When she undressed him, she was shocked to find his fingernails and toenails were purple and his skin was turning blue.
Laura recalled: “I raised the alarms immediately and the nurses quickly took Toby away. He was moved to the Neonatal Unit and intubated.”
“I remember sitting in the unit surrounded by all these tiny babies and my son seemed so out of place. We were distraught but were hopeful Toby would recover and we could take him home soon. We didn’t realise at the time just how seriously ill he was.”
After tests at the hospital, doctors told Laura that Toby’s heart was born on the wrong side. There was also a serious problem with his lungs and they would need experts from BCH to diagnose and care for him.
Toby was blue-lighted to BCH, where he underwent tests to confirm he had Congenital Lobar Emphysema.
Laura recalled: “Toby underwent a neonatal lobectomy, to remove part of his left lung. Only around 25 of these procedures have been carried out at the Children’s Hospital in the last 10 years.
“We were told it was a very complex surgery and it would take over five hours. There were risks involved but it was the best chance for Toby.”
During treatment, Toby went into cardiac arrest, but his life was saved by the hospital team and the procedure was successful. He recovered in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) before moving onto a ward.
Laura explained: “We expected to be in hospital for a long time recovering but a few weeks after his operation, Toby had an x-ray and it was as though a miracle had happened. The fluid in his chest had gone. We could finally take him home. It was just the most incredible relief.”
Due to his condition, Toby has several challenges including Broncho Vascular Disease, Harrison Sulcus Syndrome and Asthma and receives support from Walsall Manor Hospital.
But he is thriving and enjoying year one at school and loves playing football with his older brother.
Laura said: “We still have regular check-ups but we’re comforted knowing that the surgeon who carried out the surgery Mr Michael Singh is at the other end of the phone if we do need him.
“It’s emotional talking about the support we received and what the hospital did for us and Toby. Mr Singh saved my little boy’s life, what more can I say? Thank you doesn’t seem enough.”
Since Toby’s surgery, she has gone on to work as a Clinical Support Worker on a Children’s Ward at Walsall Manor Hospital, to support families going through similar hospital journeys.
