Stand with baby Malachi and his family!

Hi my name is Malachi and I was born @35weeks. I was born with suspected Beckwith-weidemann Syndrome, heart and tummy defects. I had my first heart surgery at 1 day old (ballon valvuloplasty) and second surgery was at 3 days old (omphalocele repair). A week after this surgery developed a disease called Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) which forced me to undergo an emergency surgery where the surgeons cut out 15cm of my large intestines. I was then given a Colostomy (Stoma) on the left side of my stomach which I still currently have. Around 4 weeks old my pulmonary valve started narrowing again and this is when I had my second ballon valvuloplasty (heart surgery). I lived in NICU at Auckland hospital for the first 6weeks of life before I was transferred to Middlemore hospital for another 4weeks. While at Middlemore I lost a lot of weight and my dietitian gave me special medication to help absorb my milk. I also developed an infection on my stomach. The time spent at Middlemore was time for me and mummy to finally have cuddles and a place for her to adjust to my new lifestyle. Although it was challenging at times mummy, daddy, big bro & sis made it work. I recently had my 3rd heart surgery (ballon valvuloplasty) as my pulmonary valve was narrowing again.

All my medical conditions and surgeries to date meant my parents have had to take time off work, organise babysitters for my brother and sister, stay several days(over 75 days to date) in hospital