Interview CH15
Age at interview: 3
Brief Outline: Taylor was diagnosed with a complete Atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD). Treatment: surgery at 6 months old. No further treatment planned. Current medication: none.
Background: Diagnosed during pregnancy (25 weeks). Parents' marital status: married. Occupation: Mother-Full time Mum. Other children: an older child. The family do not live close by to a specialist hospital.
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Describes what she told her 3 year old daughter about the scar she has down her chest.
Describes what she told her 3 year old daughter about the scar she has down her chest.
Sort of. She, she knows she went to the hospital and, she, 'cos her, 'cos she's got a scar sort of down her chest she knows that, she thinks that's, 'cos her heart was broken. She said it's, her heart was broken so she went to the hospital and, and they fixed it and that's what's left. So, also that, as I said to my other daughter, to explain it to her, we just go, she sort of thinks the same that Taylor's heart was broken and the hospital fixed it and, and she's all better now.
That's how you, you've explained it to her?
Which is, yeah, they're, they're both fine with it, you know. As they're, when they're old enough to sort of understand properly then, you know, then they'll know the truth. Well, sort, you know, but so far, yeah. So they, Taylor when she, she goes to the hospital now she don't sort of know it's for a, a check up. She don't sort of understand as such but my other daughter knows that she's going just to make sure that her, her heart is, is still fixed and not broken a little bit.
They received financial help from the Family Trust Fund for expenses at the hospital and for a...
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They received financial help from the Family Trust Fund for expenses at the hospital and for a...
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Did you find, was there any, was there any government allowances that help with this?
When we first, first found out my Health Visitor at the time said there's a family trust fund, I think it is who come out and they can help with like travelling to the hospital and, you know expenses that way, so she got in touch with them and somebody come round and he said we'd get help for travelling to the hospital as well as the food and accommodation and also they gave us money for a holiday as well and also Disability Living Allowance. They said we could get that as well so, which we got that for the first sort of couple of years which was a big, big help at the time.
Explains that babies and children are very resilient and often cope better than parents do.
Explains that babies and children are very resilient and often cope better than parents do.
It was difficult weaning her baby on to solids because she had difficulty chewing which she...
It was difficult weaning her baby on to solids because she had difficulty chewing which she...
How was it a battle?
Mother' She, she couldn't chew at all, you know. She, because she was so used to having the tube, you know, and everything sort of went straight down but when it actually come to, to try and chew she, she couldn't do it. Saying that even now, I mean, she's, she's 3 now, she's a lot better, there's still some things that she can't eat. She just don't chew properly. Or she'll chew for a little bit and then she'll spit it out, she just gets fed up for chewing, you know, but most of the stuff she can sort of eat now.
Has anyone said why that might be?
Mother' No. Well my Health Visitor, said maybe, said it may be due to the tube because she was tube fed for a while. You sort of persevere really, keep trying different things but I mean she is a lot better but some sort of meat and that she can't sort of chew properly. She'll try but that's it.