Pregnancy was “straightforward” for Emily, a professional Vixens netball player. She was 17 weeks pregnant when the team played the 2024 Grand Final. Although she did have a single artery umbilical cord, meaning birth was induced a week early.
Following a 13-hour labour, Emily gave birth to her little girl Mabel and suddenly, everything changed. When she expected to enjoy that special moment of first contact, Mabel was rushed off by doctors.
“I knew something wasn’t right straight away. I couldn’t hear any noise.”
In shock, Emily and her partner Ari were told Mabel had suffered oxygen loss to the brain. The severity was unknown, but they were warned it could mean anything from intellectual impairment to life in a wheelchair. Hours passed before they could visit Mabel. “Seeing her for the first time, I just broke down. She was hooked up to so many machines.”
That night, Emily returned home to Geelong while Ari slept in a chair at the Royal Women’s Hospital. They didn’t know what the future held – just that they needed to be near their baby in NICU. “It was someone at the Geelong Hospital who mentioned Ronald McDonald House”, remembers Emily. Staying at the House was exactly what they needed.
“Not having to drive up and down the highway every day was a small thing, but sometimes it’s those small things that make the biggest difference.”
Emily and Ari arrived to a gift pack of donated goodies and meals in the fridge. They felt like they could finally switch off. The staff “seemed to have a solution for everything”. When Emily needed a breastmilk pump, another stress amidst chaos, they sourced one.
“Just making a cuppa and some toast, sitting and having some peace was huge.”
Connecting with other families at the House touched Emily and Ari deeply. “Some had been there for months and months, but everyone was so welcoming.”
After a harrowing week Mabel was deemed healthy, and they could take her home. Emily laughs, remembering how slowly they drove to Geelong. “We had very precious cargo on board”.
But Emily left the House and NICU – and the families they met along the way – feeling a mix of relief and guilt. “It was the hardest time of our lives. But I know many people do not have the luxury of getting the news that their baby is okay.”
