Mum's praise for Blackpool Victoria Hospital after 'brilliant' care for her and poorly baby born with spina bifida

Hudson Freeman was born with spina bifida, just like his older sister Ava, and like his sister he had a huge cyst on his back and hydrocephalus – a dangerous excess of fluid on the brain.

Mum Emma Cowley, 30, had expected him to be born on August 21 and, given his serious health issues, had arranged to go to Manchester Children’s Hospital for the delivery.

But little Hudson, now nearly seven weeks old, was premature and she had to be taken to Blackpool Victoria for the birth instead, where he was born in the neonatal unit on June 24.

Mum-of -four Emma, who is married to Dan Cowley, 37, says she has heard about criticism of the Blackpool hospital in recent years.

In January this year it was was announced that the trust which runs Victoria had been ordered to improve urgent and emergency care by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Overall the Trust was rated as ‘requires improvement’, although there were ‘pockets of outstanding care’.

However, Emma says she has nothing but praise for its staff in the neonatal unit, including the Special Baby Care Unit.

The family were devastated to learn that their second baby within two years had spina bifida but their experience with daughter Ava, now 19 months, had prepared them.

However, the premature birth changed their plans.

Emma, of Branstree Road, Mereside, said: “Blackpool Victoria has taken a lot of stick but I can only speak from my own experience.

"The staff were amazing – they were efficient and they were caring.

"His birth was not straightforward – if his cyst had burst, Hudson could have been in serious trouble.

"But how they managed to deliver him, in an emergency C-section, without the cyst bursting I don’t know.

"They really were amazing.”

Hudson then had to be quickly transferred to Manchester in a special ambulance just three hours after his birth.

Once there, the youngster needed critical surgery in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit to have his cyst carefully removed and a VP shunt fitted to drain the fluid from his brain.

After two weeks there, the tiny, premature baby was back in the Special Baby Care Unit.

Emma added: “Right after Hudson was born he had to go to Manchester before me, in a special neonatal ambulance.

"I was desperate to see him before he went, even though I couldn’t walk. The staff in the SBCU made sure I got up to see him before he left.

"They were so caring to me and the rest of the family.”

Hudson is now safely home and making good progress.

Emma and Dan’s experience with Hudson has not been as traumatic as it was with Ava.

In her case, the concern about Ava’s cyst and the swelling in her brain was then followed by a bout of potentially deadly meningitis.

Doctors warned the couple that Ava may not make it – but the little battler pulled through and is now thriving, also with the help of VP shunt.

The family have two other children – Ella, 13, and three year old Reuben.