My Story: Thirteen Weeks Early
Hi! I'm Henry, and I like to do things my own way — starting with my birthday.
I was born in December 2017, a whole three months before I was supposed to arrive. I was so poorly at the start that nobody was sure I'd survive my first 24 hours. I spent my first months in NICU, where Mummy had to leave me every night after she was discharged, coming back super early each morning with fresh milk and ready for as many snuggles as the doctors and nurses said were safe.
Mummy and Daddy saw my very first New Year at midnight by my incubator, hoping there would be many more. There's now a photo of me at 12.00am every single New Year's Day since — though I'm usually asleep for it, and they're still waiting for the year I'm awake 😂.
Because I arrived in such a rush, I have Cerebral Palsy (hemiplegia, which means one side of my body — including my left hand, who we call Helpy Hand — needs extra encouragement) and Epilepsy.
When I was 3 days old, the doctors made some predictions:
- They said I'd be GMFCS level 5 (the most affected level). I'm actually level 3, achieving some level 2 things.
- They said swallowing would be unlikely. I started feeding at 32 weeks — before I should even have been born — and now I eat EVERYTHING (especially pigs in blankets).
- They said I'd have hearing problems that could affect my speech. I can hear a chocolate wrapper from three rooms away, and anyone who's met me knows I'm a chatterbox.
- They said a walking frame would be "setting expectations too high". I now RUN in my walking frame, play football in it, and chase my friends at school.
Mummy and Daddy never tell me I can't do something. They just say "give it a go" — and that's what I intend to keep doing.
Every birthday in our house is celebrated BIG, because when you weren't guaranteed your first one, every single one after that is special. We also remember my NICU best friend Shaquille, who isn't with us any more. We live our best lives for him too. 💜
This blog is where we share the whole journey — the hard work, the hospital days, and all the adventures in between — so that families starting a similar journey might find it all a little less scary.
