Brave baby’s battle: Almost 150 days on oxygen, 78 nights in hospital, now thriving
When Julia Neil and her footballing husband Fergus look lovingly at their adorable baby boy, it’s hard to comprehend his tough start to life.
Ardie James Neil was born prematurely on November 12, at 27 weeks’ gestation and weighing just 1.2kg.
He needed to be resuscitated and spent almost three months in hospital, including 50 nights in Wellington Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and a further 28 nights in Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s special care baby unit (SCBU).
Ardie also needed multiple Life Flight trips between Napier and Wellington and an oxygen breathing tube for the first 144 days of his life, including after he was discharged from hospital on January 29.
But almost six months on from his birth, he now weighs more than 6kg.
“He’s thriving,” a very proud Julia said ahead of celebrating Mother’s Day.
“Some days, we still say, ‘How did we get through that?’
“But ... you do it, you do it for your baby because you just love them and you’ll do anything for them.
“It is challenging, though, because you’re leaving your baby every single day, you know, and you’re going home to bed and he’s not there ... it took a toll.”
On Sunday afternoon, Ardie and Julia will be on the sidelines to watch Fergus and his teammates do battle in round seven action of football’s Central League when Napier City Rovers take on Petone FC at Bluewater Stadium.
Fergus has impressed in his side’s strong start to the season, which includes winning the last five successive matches.
The proud dad said it was surreal seeing how well Ardie was now, considering his tough start to life.
“We just love to see the little steps in the progress that he makes every week or every day. The little milestones, we just love to celebrate them.
“Given what he’s been through already, we’re loving seeing where he’s at now. He’s come out the other side, he’s flourishing. It brings joy to us to see where he’s at now.”
Ardie was flown from Napier to Wellington just hours after his early birth on November 12.
A four-strong medical team resuscitated him after he was born, before the flight to Wellington’s NICU.
“At the time I was in shock,” Julia said. “And when I think about it now, it is scary.”
She joked her adorable baby had been “quite privileged to have four private flights”.
Her humour is a world away from the reality the Neils found themselves in for the first few months of Ardie’s life.
That included a second Life Flight trip to Wellington after complications.
“We got on the flight about midnight ... with him in his little incubator,” Julia said.
“You’ve got the nurse, watching him, checking his heart rate and breathing and the plane’s rocking, you’re tired and don’t know what to think.”
While Ardie was in Wellington, Fergus said he and Julia were well supported by friends there.
Having to return to NICU a second time had been stressful, but he said they knew Ardie was going to be in safe hands.
“As much as we wished he was healthy enough to stay here [in Hawke’s Bay], we knew it was going to be the best thing for him.”
Ardie has been off supplied oxygen for just over a month – another major milestone for his parents to celebrate.
Fergus said while it was a “real relief” he no longer needed an oxygen tube, they had been in no rush for him to go without it.
Being told he needed supplied oxygen was among a range of things that had been “really scary and eye-opening” during the ordeal.
“We didn’t want to rush anything, we’re not the medical experts” he said.
“He’s doing great without it, so long may that continue.”
The Neils have a lot of people they want to thank for caring for both Ardie and them during such a stressful time.
Their families had offered huge support during Ardie’s lengthy stay in hospital and now back home as well.
They also want to thank the medical teams at NICU and SCBU and the crew of the Life Flight aircraft.
“You don’t realise what the medical teams do until you’re in that situation,” Julia said.
“Whether it’s the ambulance driver, the pilots, the nurses, the doctors or the specialists ... it’s just incredible what they do. They’re really amazing.”
Fergus added the family would forever be “so grateful” for the dedication and support of the various medical experts who cared for Ardie.
“We’ll certainly be telling him some stories that he won’t remember, of the nurses and doctors that helped him,” he said.
“It would be impossible to forget some of those people.”
The tight-knit Napier City Rovers football family had also been “massive”, the couple said.
Fergus is a modern-day legend of the very proud football club.
A Chatham Cup and Central League winner, he was described as being “part of our history” by coach Bill Robertson when he played his 200th league game for the side last year.
The couple will never forget the support they received from the club when they needed it most, including a fundraiser at the Rovers’ annual Christmas party.
That included fundraising photos with Santa – an initiative from reserve goalkeeper and goalkeeping coach Kyle Baxter and his wife, Andrea.
The Neils couldn’t make it to the event but Julia said it was an “emotional day” as she and Fergus received updates.
They “felt the love” from the Rovers – one of New Zealand’s most successful football clubs – and it was hard to find the words for how thankful they were.
Fergus said the support from players, coaches, off-field staff, members, volunteers and supporters had been hugely heart-warming at such a stressful time.
It epitomised the club that he loves so much.
“It shows what the club is all about. It’s a club full of great people that like to do things for others. [What they did] just sums us up really, as Napier City Rovers.
“It was massive.”
Watch the Inside the Rovers video series:
Episode One: Back to Work
Episode Two: The Darkest Days
Episode Three: Skin Deep
Episode Four: Good as Gould
Episode Five: The Hard Yards
Episode Six: Leaving a Legacy
Episode Seven: Fun and Games
Episode Eight: Game Day
Episode Nine: The Great Dane
Episode 10: Back-to-Back
Episode 11: Long Road Back
Episode 12: Total Commitment
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 30 years of newsroom experience.