Remarkable round-the-clock support for Jude
Jude was a healthy, active child who loved to swim, cycle and play football. But just before his 10th birthday, Jude began to have trouble with swallowing and his muscles started to become weaker. After several appointments and tests, the cause was still unclear.
Like a second family
Following an appointment with an ear, nose and throat specialist, Jude was admitted to his local hospital and was deteriorating fast. The next morning, he became unresponsive – he was struggling to breathe.
In that moment, Jude’s parents didn’t know if he would survive. He was rushed to the specialist Intensive Care Unit at Evelina London where after a four-day coma he woke up on his 10th birthday. He has been under the hospital’s care ever since.
“The staff are so incredible with him – always so positive which in turn makes him positive.”
Specialist teams providing incredible care
Jude has a rare condition affecting his nerves, which prevents his muscles getting the right messages from his brain. This means he can’t swallow or talk, and his movement is limited, so he uses a wheelchair. To help Jude breathe, he had a procedure called a tracheotomy and relies on a ventilator.
Jude continues to be cared for by the hospital’s incredible multidisciplinary team and has a busy schedule of appointments, including physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. “The staff are always willing to spend time explaining procedures that may seem scary to put him at ease. There’s never a question that goes unanswered,” says Peter, Jude’s dad.
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“From the big things, like making sure his cannula is working properly or the small things, like skipping the adverts on a TV show – they go above and beyond”
Looking after the whole family
The remarkable Evelina London team don’t just look after Jude but are there for his parents and two-and-a-half-year-old sister, Elodie. “They take care of us as a family. It’s hard having Elodie on the wards sometimes, but the incredible play specialists will get her involved in a game. It gives us as parents a little break or a chance to talk with Jude’s clinical team uninterrupted. They’ve been amazing,” says dad Peter.
Jude’s devoted parents often stay close by at Ronald McDonald House, saving them the two hour journey home after a long day of being at the hospital.
Every year, Evelina London Children’s Hospital cares for almost 70,000 children and young people across a wide range of health conditions.
By working in partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities, we can provide incredible spaces like parent accommodation, so that mums and dads can have a restful night sleep, moments away from their child’s bedspace.
Together, we can continue to support families at the most difficult time.
Help create everyday incredible moments for children and families like Jude‘s