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Celebrating your firstborn's first birthday is a special milestone for any parent. It’s a day you remember the first time you held your baby, the first time you became a parent, and a time to reflect on how much your life has changed.
For Willene (27) and Carl (33) Snyman from Gqeberha, this milestone is a little more special because their son, Willem, was born at just 26 weeks on 22 December 2020.
His first birthday wasn't something they were focused on as their tiny son battled for his life. Now, his parents say they're proud of how far he's come. “It was an exciting but also an emotional day because of the journey we went through,” Willene tells YOU.
When Willem was born, he weighed just 760g and spent his first few days on a ventilator to help him breathe. His lungs weren’t fully developed because he was born so prematurely. Doctors also diagnosed him with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), an opening between two blood vessels leading from the heart, as well as aortic coarctation, a constriction of the aorta.
He had to have heart surgery to correct the PDA and aortic coarctation. “It was tough seeing him lying in the incubator after the operation. But the journey made us stronger,” Carl tells YOU.
READ MORE | This Gqeberha baby survived heart surgery a month after he was born weighing just 760g
Baby Willem was able to go home after 120 days in the hospital and he has been thriving since.
He now weighs 8,2kgs and is doing well. “He was christened last month, he's got five teeth already, started rolling over, and he's on the verge of crawling and sitting on his own. He's a happy, normal baby,” Carl tells us, as Willem coos in the background as if in agreement.
“The cardiologist is happy with his heart. He needs to go in April for another check-up and then after that he'll go for a yearly check-up just to make sure the coarctation doesn't come back. He's on no medication and it's wonderful that we're so fortunate that he doesn't need any medication for his heart,” Carl adds.
His personality is also starting to show. He's always smiling and is one of the friendliest babies, Carl says. “I must say, that's something that people almost always comment on when they see him because he laughs at anyone and isn't shy of strangers."
Willene says she's grateful for how far Willem has come but admits that it's hard not to compare him to other babies. “When you tell people he's a year old, they often ask if he' crawling or walking, and I say 'no'. Other people don’t always understand and it's difficult sometimes."
Despite this, they wouldn't have it any other way. Carl says Willene belongs to support groups for parents with premature babies, and they often see a baby of 28 weeks who didn't survive, making the realise how blessed they are with Willem.
“This little fighter has made it to a year and every day we realise just what a big miracle baby he is.”
