Baby boy who was declared brain dead miraculously survives after his life support was switched OFF by doctors

December 11, 2018  13:35

A baby boy who was given no chance of survival after being declared brain dead miraculously survived after his life support was switched off.

Kaleb Crook, now 15 months old, astounded doctors when he continued to breathe on his own and squeezed his mother's finger. 

His parents, Becki and Phil Crook, had said their final goodbyes to their ten-day-old son, who was brain damaged due to oxygen deprivation. 

But Kaleb defied all odds, and, despite having complex needs due to his severe brain damage, will now have his first Christmas at home in Ratby, Leicestershire.  

Mrs Crook, 30, said: 'Kaleb gave my finger the faintest of squeezes and looked up at me, as if to say "it's going to be okay, Mummy!"

'And now, despite Kaleb's complex needs and severe brain injury, he loves to smile, especially when he hears his sister's voice.'

Mr Crook, 33, and his wife were told their baby would have extensive brain damage after being deprived of oxygen at some point in the womb or during birth.

Figures show that three in 1,000 babies in Britain either die or become severely brain-damaged due to a lack of oxygen or blood flow to the brain around the time of birth. 

Mother-of-two Mrs Crook - who had an accidental home birth following a rapid labour - still has no idea why her son suffered from the severe starvation of oxygen.

She said: 'Kaleb was delivered, but we quickly saw that he was pale, floppy and not breathing.

'He was put onto life support as soon as he arrived at the hospital, and doctors told me that there was minimal brain activity and that there was no hope for his future.' 

Doctors decided to withdraw all care, and the family were transferred to a specialised children's hospice for end of life treatment.

Mrs Crook said: 'There was nothing we could do for him. I couldn't believe what had happened to our perfect pregnancy.

'We had to prepare for end of life care at Rainbows Hospice after doctors told us that Kaleb had catastrophic brain damage and that he would most likely die imminently. 

'We were told he would only live for a few minutes so I held him so tightly in my arms.

'But then he gave us a ray of hope.'

Against all odds, and a Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) Grade 3 diagnosis - severe, irreversible brain damage - Kaleb survived.  

His prognosis is still unclear, but his family have moved on and couldn't be prouder of him.

Mrs Crook said: 'This is our new normal. This Christmas is a Christmas we never expected to have.

'Kaleb can now be with us, experiencing the joy of life, against the odds.

'Our hope is that Kaleb will experience happiness and peace, in whatever capacity he is capable of. We want him to know how loved he is.'

This Christmas, Kaleb is able to enjoy being at home with his parents and older sister, Eden, now four.

Mrs Crook, a midwife, added: 'No one knows what the future holds for Kaleb but at the moment he's choosing "life" every day and defying the odds. 

'We had no idea we'd still have him with us today, he has astounded everyone he's met.

'He is a true and living miracle, defying all of the doctor's expectations.'

The family continue to rely on Rainbow Hospice for care and respite, and are are fundraising for the organisation. Click here to donate. 

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter


 
  • Video
 
 
  • Event calendar
 
 
  • Archive
 
  • Most read
 
  • Find us on Facebook
 
  • Poll
Are you aware that in 2027 medical insurance will become mandatory for all Armenian citizens?
I’m aware, and I'm in favor
I’m not aware, and I'm against
I'm aware, but I'm still undecided
I'm not aware, but in principle I'm in favor
I'm not aware, but in principle I'm against
It doesn't matter to me