What Jack and Jill meant to Helen and her Family.

Our daughter Muireann was born with severe Hydrocephalus in July 2000 and at the time we were told that her condition sadly was terminal. The doctors did not expect her to live more than a few hours if even that but she did and a week later we made the decision with the consent of the team in The Rotunda Hospital to take her home so she could be with us for whatever time she had left as there was nothing they could do in the hospital to save her.

We would not have been able to do this without the help of The Jack and Jill Foundation.

We had 4 very short but very special weeks with Muireann. All our family came to visit, her Nanny Midge even came from Canada and all our friends got to meet her. She really was our little star. Looking back it on it now it really was a very special time. We settled back in to our home life with Muireann and sisters & brother. Every evening our Liaison Nurse would come and watch over Muireann so we could look after Ciara, Darragh & Aoife and get some rest ourselves. Our nurse just became part of our family. But in the end, in her last few days, we knew that her time with us was coming to an end.

Cathy came the night before as usual and on the morning that Muireann passed, she was able to tell me that it would come soon so we were somewhat prepared if you could be for such an event ....and then she was gone. But that day was filled with callers from the very early morning to long in to the night, the same family and friends who had come to meet her, came by to send her on her journey.

We were glad to have had that time after she passed with her at home with us all. Some days later a card arrived saying 'We will see you in all things beautiful' and so Stars, Ladybirds and Stargazer Lillies are where we now see Muireann. We celebrate her birthday each year and anyone who has me on social media knows I will always share (as will my family) any posts by the Jack and Jill Foundation looking for nurses to care for babies like Muireann. We will be forever grateful to Jonathan Irwin and The Jack and Jill Foundation who made it possible for us to be a family at home with our little star Muireann🌟🐞🌟🐞

Dip a Day for Jack and Jill April 2023

Created by Helen Reddy

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