Peter's Fund

Peter was born on January 22, 2015. He was full term, and weighed 8 lbs, 14oz. During labour, without warning, Peter's heart rate and blood pressure sky-rocketed. The doctor suggested we use vacuum suction to help bring our baby into the world. Unfortunately, something went wrong during the delivery, and when he came out he wasn't breathing. We heard no cries, and he was rushed away to another room where he could be assessed. After six hours, he began to bleed internally, and he was rushed to the NICU at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton.

That first week was a whirlwind of information, knotted stomachs and heavy hearts. My husband and I were told no one was sure what went wrong, but our little boy was very sick. He began to receive blood transfusions, one after another, after another. Upon closer inspection, the doctors noticed he had a hole in his stomach, and thought that was the source of the bleeding. When he came out of surgery, the surgeons told us his entire stomach was dead tissue, and they had removed it entirely, plus a small piece of his intestine. The days that followed were filled with healing thoughts and countless visitors.

The next hurdle Peter faced was his failing kidneys. He was not peeing, and he became very red and puffy. After about a week in the NICU, he was transferred to the PICU, where he could begin to receive dialysis. At first, he was hooked up to the dialysis machine 24/7. Eventually he began to stabilize, and only needed to be dialyzed six times a week, then five times a week, until finally, when he was one month old, he was able to leave the intensive care unit. Now, at three months old, he lives in the pediatric rehabilitation ward, where he continues to be dialyzed, but only three times a week.

The doctors say there is hope for his kidneys to begin functioning at full capacity, but only time will tell. If they do not begin to work, he will need a transplant when he is big enough to receive one. As for his stomach, we were assured that Peter can live a full life without one. Eventually, the plan is to reconnect him, by creating a pouch from part of his intestine, which will act like a stomach, but never function like one. It will only hold small amounts of food, so he will have to eat many small meals, many times a day.

Now, we wait. Peter can't have the reconstructive surgery until he has grown and filled the gap where his stomach used to be. His kidneys must also be stronger so they don't become stressed by this major surgery. Despite everything he has been through, he is such a happy baby. He surprises us every day with his strength and endurance. He is my hero. All we can do is be with him and carry on like any other family would.

Ed and I spend every day with Peter, and we are determined to keep it that way until we can finally bring our baby home. We have received so much help from our friends and family already, but the journey proves to be a long one, and we need all the help we can get for the months ahead.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, and feel free to find us on Facebook! We post weekly updates on Peter's blog, "The Journey of Peter Cameron". Love to you all!!!