Bertie sat down, smiling with his tongue out a little. In his nostril there is a feeding tube with a colourful plaster.

Bertie’s incredible journey home

Bertie has faced extraordinary challenges in the first year and a half of his life. Thanks to the remarkable care of Evelina London, after 547 days in hospital, he’s finally home just in time for Christmas.

A frightening start and specialist care

Bertie was born at just 24 weeks, weighing only 1lb 10oz after his mum, Phoebe, unknowingly contracted an E. coli infection that sent her into labour.

Bertie was diagnosed with necrotising enterocolitis, known as NEC. It’s a serious condition that causes inflammation and damage to a baby’s intestines.

At just 10 days old, tiny Bertie needed emergency surgery on his bowel and has undergone a further 4 operations since then. He spent 6 months in the neonatal intensive care unit, before moving to a ward at Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

Baby Bertie being carried by his mum, Bertie has his fingers in his mouth and appears to be smiling.

Bertie with his mum, Phoebe

A remarkable milestone

After 547 days of specialist care from the incredible Evelina London team, 18-month-old Bertie finally went home — just in time for Christmas. The day Bertie went home was deeply meaningful for both his family and the Evelina London team.

Bertie’s journey shows the extraordinary difference your kindness makes. From life-saving surgery and cutting-edge equipment to play therapy and family spaces, your generosity helps give children the chance to finally go home.

"Bertie and his parents have faced these challenges with extraordinary grace... A huge team at Evelina London have provided the complex care that Bertie has needed. Seeing him go home is what we all have been working for and we could not be more pleased for him and his family"

Iain Yardley, Consultant Paediatric and Neonatal Surgeon at Evelina London

How donations help Evelina London care for children like Bertie

Cutting-edge equipment that reduces pain and fear

For a child who has had as many procedures as Bertie, finding a suitable vein can be extremely difficult. Repeated needle insertions can scar veins, making each attempt more painful and frightening.

But donations are driving incredible innovation in children’s care. Funded by The Children’s Surgery Foundation, ultrasound vein finders allow clinicians to see hidden veins in real time and guide small tubes into veins accurately on the first attempt. They reduce pain, ease trauma, and make the procedure calmer for children and families.

When Bertie’s central line became infected and he needed urgent fluids, the team used an ultrasound vein finder. Callum, Bertie’s dad, recalls: “Irrespective of whether you’re a parent or a doctor, it just makes everything less stressful, less painful and less traumatic.”

Baby Bertie being held by Play Specialist Shirin, he is playing with a colourful development toy which has colourful buttons.

Bertie with Shirin, Play Specialist at Evelina London

Play Specialists that help children’s development and ease anxiety

Medical care saved Bertie’s life, but emotional and developmental support from Evelina London’s Play team helped him thrive.

In the hospital, play is essential. The play team prepare children for treatment, eases anxiety, distracts during procedures, and makes the hospital feel more like home.

For long-term patients like Bertie, this support is transformative. Despite multiple abdominal surgeries, he now enjoys tummy time, rolling, and even sitting briefly on his own.

Phoebe, Bertie’s mum says, “They’ve gone above and beyond to support his development, helping him reach important milestones… They even created a memory book filled with photos from his sessions, capturing his ongoing progress in a way that we can treasure for years to come.”

Improving spaces in the Neonatal Unit that comfort families

During his first six months, Bertie lived in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Kind donors like you helped to transform the NICU’s family areas into calming, homely spaces that offer privacy, comfort, and much-needed moments of rest.

Improvements included redesigned breastfeeding and expressing rooms, welcoming quiet rooms, upgraded rooming-in areas, and softer lighting, furniture, and colour schemes, all creating a more soothing environment for families during an incredibly challenging time.

“These spaces are essential to help nurture special bonds, to offer comfort and solace to parents and carers coping with the trauma of seeing their baby in intensive care, and to prepare them for taking their little one home”, shares Jenny Michel, Neonatal Sister at Evelina London.

Help the compassionate team at Evelina London provide care to more incredible children like Bertie.

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