Kaedyn's Fight!!!

Thank you being here and taking the time to read about my son.

Kaedyn Slade was born 7 weeks early by C-Section on 22-05-2012. He was a fighter from the second he was born. He went straight into SCBU and was monitored closely. he was 2 days old before I even got to hold him. it was a very long two days. He had a NG tube in to feed him with Formula. When I did get to hold I was able to breastfeed, which he took to straight away. He got stronger and stronger as the days went by. two and half weeks later I got to take him home.

Thinking that our hard journey was over.

Little did I know that was just the beginning.

4 weeks old Kaedyn stopped breathing and we were rushed to Starship hospital, where they decided to put him on a Apnoea Monitor which was attached to him 24/7. if it didn't pick up a breath for 20 seconds it would alarm. This happened ALL the time. My lack of sleep began.

We then had some many trips to hospital I've lost count. He had a constant running nose, a gurgling noise in his throat that just never went away. Severe chest infections and Pneumonia where a normal thing for us. During the first 18months of Kaedyn's life we probably spent a good half of that in hospital.

None of the doctors could tell us why he was always so sick. Through it all, he always smiled, laughed and flirted with all the nurses. Everyone adored my sweet boy. We had so many tests done,Cameras done his throat, CT scan's, MRI's Brain seizures tests as he also was having random seizures also, everything came back normal. It was so frustrating and just broke me seeing my boy always poked and prodded, with no answers. Until one day an amazing doctor said lets do a swallow test, so Kaedyn had a video fluoroscopy done in November 2013, its a video xray, which showed that my boy was aspirating, which means when he swallowed it was going to his lungs not his stomach. he also had a delayed swallow, which was causing a small amount of fluid to be left over in his throat, which was cutting of his airway. Hence why he would stop breathing all the time. Kaedyns had come off the Apnoea Monitor when he was 1, due to him moving around more. So very sleepless times came for me for the next 6months.

We tried a thickened formula first, sometime this helps., but this was not the case for Kaedyn. So a choice was made to put a NG tube in. I had to learn how to feed my son through a tube. It was the hardest thing to see and do. But still through all of this he was happy. It wasn't long before that changed, my boy darling boy became sad and miserable all the time. His tube would ALWAYS come out, sometimes three times a day. t was heartbreaking. I had to hold my baby down while they put it back in his nose. Sometime the homecare nurses just couldnt do it. He would choke and gag on it, vomit and sometimes blood would come up too. It was horrific. Sometimes it would take 2,3 sometimes 4 of us to hold him down.

I have two other boys,at the time where 17 and 11, who also had to help sometimes. It broke us as a family. Watching him scream cry and fight us, but we all knew this was saving his life. 9 very long months we did this for.

His pediatrician agreed with me that our best option was for him to have the operation where they would insert a device into his stomach called a Mic-key button or Peg. 21st july 2014 this was done.

Wow what a HUGE difference this made for us ALL. I got my happy boy back, life became less stressful with feeding.

Life just carried on for us. This was our normal.

We had a infection early one, but a cream helped that. from then on it was trouble free.

Early 2015 I decided to enroll Kaedyn in daycare, just one day a week to give him interaction with other kids his age. He loved it, the staff were amazing and learnt how to feed him, and after a long journey i got a wee break. I slept most of those Mondays. I had alot to catch up on.

(Through all of this I also suffer to. I live with Chronic pain in my back and lung from a operation 10 years ago, that they screwed up, having my flare ups put me in hospital alos and i'm down for a good week or two. Im a solo mum of 3, so my other boys had to also learn how to feed Kaedyn early on so if i did have my down times, they could look after me and Kaedyn.)

March 2015 Kaedyn started complaining of a sore back. I knew he hadn't hurt it, cause EVERYTIME he did hurt himself he would get us to kiss his sore better. daycare hadn't reported any falls either. I took him to the doctor 3 times in the next month, They did a urine test and that was all. That was clear.The third visit i refused to leave till she did something.She doctor contacted the hospital, who are familiar with kaedyn of course and they said WHY has you not sent him in sooner.

29th April 2015 Kaedyn was admitted to hospital.

A blood test showed that he had inflammation. So a MRI was ordered. The next day it was showed that Kaedyn had Osteomyelits in L5 and S1 vertebrae's.

He started IV antibiotics straight away. The next day a Picc line was inserted just above his heart and his antibiotics went straight into this every 6 hours for the next 6 weeks.

This was not easy being in hospital that long and having my now 18 and 12yr old boys at home by themselves. Im lucky they are amazing.

Kaedyn had his 3rd Birthday in hospital. Through it all he just kept fighting and smiling most of the time. He was and is just incredible.

11 June 2015,

7 weeks later we got to go home and continued with antibiotics.

That was 7 weeks ago now.

We had a follow up MRI last week which has showed the infection is still there and has eaten away half of L5 and half of S1, plus the disc inbetween.

Kaedyn is now on antibiotics indifferently.

The risks he has now are high, of it spending, He could fall and break his lower back and possibly end up paralyzed, many things could happen.

Kaedyn cannot attend Daycare or school due to the high risk of other infections.

Ive started this page to fundraise for Kaedyn. Funding will be used to:

- set up a little school at home for his education.

- hopefully get him to do some things that he other wise may not be able to do.

- purchase a more reliable car for our many hospital appointments and stays.

- constant supply of Pro-biotics which is helping keep his Immune System stronger and supporting his stomach with all the meds he takes.

I just want to give my boy what other kids get. I semi normal life.

kaedyn is the most amazingly incredible wee boy.

He is full of happiness and his cheeky smile is so contagious.

Please help my boy to fight...

He deserves it.

He deserves happiness

THANK YOU TOO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE GONG TO SUPPORT MY BOY!!!!

Kaedyn's Fight For Life!!!!