Miracle dad Joshua shares Cyrus's story:

The first week of October 2019, my wife started having on and off contraction pains. On the Friday, 4th of October, we went to hospital because my wife started feeling stronger contraction pains and was placed in the delivery ward where they monitored baby. Everything seemed normal.
The doctors swabbed my wife and said there was a 7% chance that the baby could arrive in the next seven days and was given an injection of steroids for precaution. Again, everything seemed normal, and we were sent home. We were advised to come back the next day for a second round of steroid injections.

On Saturday, 5th of October, it was a normal workday for me, and I had to travel to Northwest of Sydney. My wife woke up and continued to still have contraction pains. I was already at work and told my wife to call me if she needed anything...

Lunch time comes around, my wife calls me and tells me that her pains are getting worse.
So typical me, I told her that I was going to grab something to eat because the day before, we missed out on lunch.
Here I am, driving down the M7, having no idea what was about to happen.

I finally arrived home and quickly took my wife to hospital. This time felt a little different. A little more serious.
The nurses strapped the monitors on and kept an eye on her. Everything seemed normal.
My wife’s pains would not go away and was getting worse. One of the doctors came and did an internal. Her face changed. She could feel his foot and said that she was 4cm dilated. She said to the nurse “Get an ambulance now to Liverpool Hospital with lights and sirens!”. Things were happening way too fast. I felt like I was having an outer body experience and watching everything happen in slow motion. It was surreal.

I arrived at Liverpool hospital. Still not knowing what was going to happen.
I found the room my wife was in she was in agonising pain. I couldn’t do anything...I felt completely helpless.
Then my wife was given the magic gas to suck on. Things calmed down a little bit.

The labour progressed, and the pain worsened. The doctors came in and said the baby was breach and needed to be delivered via emergency c-section. I was told to follow and suit up in scrubs. My wife was wheeled in the delivery room, but I had to wait. Wait for what?! I needed to be there.
I was told by one of the nurses that if my wife had to be under general anaesthetic, I could not be in the room...15 mins waiting felt like 15 hours. I was told she had to be under general anaesthetic.
I could hear her in pain, but I couldn’t be there to help her.

For 2 hours...I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where to wait.

I get a phone call from a private number. It was one of the doctors. “Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy! Your wife is in recovery so you can come now”

On the 5th of October 2019, 27+5 weeks at 4:58pm, 1112g and 37.5cm Cyrus was born.

Walking in the NICU was such an intimidating experience. Lights and sounds everywhere. You have to maintain a high level of hygiene.
Seeing Cyrus in the humidicrib was scary. Is he ok? What are all these wires? Why is he wearing a helmet? Can we take those things out of his nose? Endless amounts of questions were going through my head...but all were answered by the amazing NICU nurses at Liverpool. Instantly I was informed of everything that was going on.
I was finally able to see my wife and we both went to see our baby.

As daunting and scary as the NICU was, the nurses made us feel at home. We were encouraged to be involved in every step of his journey and were guided through his cares and nappy changes. You get used to your time in the NICU and often build great relationships with other families, nurses and doctors.
At that time, our 5-year-old daughter said, “I want to be an angel nurse when I grow up”. That’s who she calls all the nurses in the NICU at Liverpool.

On the 22nd of November 2019, Cyrus graduated from Liverpool NICU and was transferred to special care at Campbelltown Hospital. He was 34 weeks corrected. We spent another 4 weeks in SCN, and we were discharged at 75 days old. He came home on a feeding tube, but pulled it out on Christmas Day, only 6 days after being home and he has thrived ever since.

Cyrus got to spend his first Christmas at home!

Cyrus is now 4 years old and absolutely smashing every goal that comes.