Gateshead Family Backs Birth Trauma Awareness Day
Birth Trauma Awareness Day
19/08/2008
The parents of a Gateshead boy left with cerebral palsy after mistakes made during his birth has backed a campaign to raise awareness of the devastating impact that birth trauma can have.
Nigel Collier has lent his support to the second annual Birth Trauma Awareness Day, which takes place on August 16th and is aiming to raise awareness of the terrible impact that birth trauma can have on families.
Nigel's wife Sarah Collier, 38, had enjoyed a trouble-free pregnancy with her second child, Joel, who was born on January 27th 2002.
Joel's heart rate dropped significantly during birth and eventually had to be delivered using forceps. He had to be resuscitated after birth and tests later showed that he had been asphyxiated, leaving him with cerebral palsy.
Nigel, 38, said he welcomed any initiative that raised awareness of the issues surrounding birth trauma – and the devastating effects it can have.
He added: "Nothing can prepare you for something like this. It is hard enough bringing up a perfectly healthy baby but this is many times more difficult. It was almost too much to cope with in the beginning.
"The difficulties of raising a child with a disability combined with the complexities of securing state support left us with little choice but to seek legal help, which was otherwise a last resort. Access to funding should be made much easier.
"You really have to fight for everything you can get and nothing falls in your lap – in a way we were fortunate that we were able to mount a legal case to access more funding for Joel's care. It would be much better if this was available to everyone who had to provide lifelong care for someone like Joel.
"It would help if more people understood what it is like for someone raising a disabled child. I hope initiatives like Birth Trauma Awareness Day can raise awareness not just among members of the public but also among the authorities who allocate support and care to those in our position."