One of the most difficult challenges we faced was the distance from our home in Kilkeel and the hospital in Belfast. The journey took 90 minutes, making it difficult for Croía’s dad, who works in Dublin, to visit her during the week. Another heartbreaking challenge was not being able to hold Croía until she was 11 days old. Every parent’s dream is to hold their newborn and not being able to do that was excruciatingly painful. The sight of our tiny 5lb baby, covered in wires lying alone in an incubator made our hearts ache.

Despite these challenges, we couldn’t fault the care we received. The nurses and staff at the Royal, especially the NICU and Barbour ward nurses, were incredible. They worked tirelessly, not only for the children but also for the families, offering comfort, support, and reassurance. They checked in on us regularly, always offering kind words and support, even when we were feeling at our lowest.

Croía’s time in the hospital was filled with ups and downs. She had a silo bag placed around her organs to protect them until she was 6 days old, when she underwent surgery to place her bowel back into her tummy. She needed a breathing tube after surgery, an NG tube for 6 weeks and a blood transfusion. She also had a central venous line in her chest for 16 weeks before it was removed.

The journey wasn’t easy on any of us, especially mentally. The visiting rules meant that only grandparents could visit Croía in NICU and visiting hours were limited in the Barbour ward. For 6 and a half weeks, I sat in the ward, day in and day out, missing my family and longing to hold Croía. But the hospital did offer some comfort by providing us with a place to stay beside NICU, this was a huge help as I was recovering from a C-section and needed to stay close to Croía.

There were also small, kind gestures that made a big difference. I remember a Christian woman who walked around the ward, offering words of encouragement and wisdom. There were children’s occupational therapists who brought us soothing lights for Croía’s bed and monochrome cards for her to look at, even though she was only a few weeks old. It was these little touches that made us feel seen and supported.

One of my most cherished memories from those days was the first time I got to hold Croía. It had been 11 days, which felt like an eternity, but that moment will stay with me forever. The nurse asked if I wanted to cradle her and, in that moment, I finally held my little girl in my arms. It was pure magic. Croía’s daddy got to hold her the following day and it was equally special.