New year, New chapter 2018

Another year nearly down and ready for the next chapter in our lives, ready for the new year to make more amazing memories with my close friends and family and ready to learn more life lessons. Never a day goes by without remembering those precious moments with my amazing daughter who is always in my heart, still feels like it was only yesterday she was in my arms, and my dear grandad who I miss dearly. I've learned soo much this past year and embrace each day I have with my loved ones, feel incredibly lucky to have Kevin always by my side and Keelan who always wakes up with a smile on his face, I feel blessed to have my mum and nan and all our family and friends who support us in each and every way. Blessing all our angels in heaven and blessing you all for health, friendship, and love for 2018 and for ever more. Xxx

Happy 1st Birthday to our Angel Isabella

It's hard to believe it's one year today, all I keep thinking about is this time last year she was with us, I keep getting flash backs of the joy she brought us when she was born, and then the heartbreak and pain in which we could not save her.

I somehow found comfort in the fact that she was with us this time last year, and I am petrified of the thought now that i can no longer say this as crazy as it may sound.

We should be getting ready for her first birthday party, but instead I am trying to find something that is weather proof to place on her grave, something I never thought I would be doing.

In my head I want everything  perfect and why not, I am still a mother who wants the best for her children. The process in which all parents have to go through, the first of anything is the hardest but keeping in mind that she is watching over us all and growing on the other side some how brings me to a smile.

Would you believe I saw a red butterfly today, it made me think of her, but this time it was not white as I would always see, it was a bright red, I like to think that's a sign from her telling me she is growing, and that she is around us always.

Happy 1st birthday our darling Isabella, from mum, dad and your big brother Keelan xx

Universal access to Foetal Anomaly screening to be made for Women Nationwide

Myself and Kevin are delighted to announce the passing of a Dail Motion by Sinn Fein’s Health Spokesperson T.D Louise O’Reilly who highlighted the current issues within Irelands Maternity Services. The motion included universal access to foetal anomaly screening across all Maternity Hospitals Nationwide, the full implementation of the National Maternity Strategy and a commitment to work with nursing and medical unions in the recruitment and retention of medical staff so that all maternity hospitals meet the ‘Birth rate plus standard’ for midwifery staffing, as well as international standards for consultant obstetricians and gynecologists.

Louise O’Reilly has called on the Minister for Health to swiftly implement the commitments made in the Dail with regards to the National Maternity Hospitals, she said that it is now up to the Government to stand by their commitment and that she will be following up with the Minister to ensure implementation of these incentives. This is a major victory for Women’s Health and the Minister must now accept the collective will of the Dail and act on the motion.

Words will never be able to describe our emotions, we are still travelling through our journey of loss, but we will always truly believe our angel was sent to us for a reason and this news just proved that.

Since the day I received a message from Cllr Damien Quigg who showed so much compassion for our campaign and pure dedication we believed as a small group of people we can make change. Cllr Damien Quigg connected us with T.D Louise O’Reilly during our Dublin visit for my Ireland AM interview, and I will always remember sitting in the room with my good friend Shauna, a fellow heart mum while we both told her our stories, I knew instantly from her reaction that she would not rest until our voices were heard and that is exactly what she did.

All those parents who spoke out about their heartbreaking experiences, the media who took it in their stride to share our journeys, to Cllr Damien Quigg who supported our campaign and set us in a direction were we would not have been able to go without him, and to T.D Louise O’Reilly who made not only our voices heard but the voices of all our angels in a place where change can be made, once implemented babies lives will be saved as a diagnosis will be made prior to birth, and parents to be, will be getting the service they deserve.

Its been such an incredibly hard time for us this last year and our Isabella’s birthday and anniversary is only around the corner but I truly hope with all my heart that she knows she helped make this change. 

In memory of our Isabella, our very own angel.

Meeting with National Programme Director for Women and Infants’ Health

Well since we started our Isabella’s campaign to raise awareness of CHD and promote that all women in Ireland should be entitled to the 20 week screening, we’ve received continual support from many families who have travelled a similar path as myself and Kevin, I feel through our own pain like many others are going through, it helps to speak to those who know and feel the same heartbreak.

Reading peoples stories, some with happy endings and others with sad, it really has given me even more drive to push this as much as we can. I still remember writing all our memories of Isabella to try and keep her alive in us, and even though she was only here on earth for a short time she incredibly left her mark.

With the help of the media making our voices heard the HSE are now listening.

Since we gained a response from the Minister for Health Simon Harris I received an email from Kilian McGrane, who is the newly appointed ‘National Programme Director for Women and Infants’ Health and will be rolling out the programme to introduce the 20 week anomaly scan to all expectant mothers nationwide . Minister Simon Harris forwarded my email to Mr McGrane and asked for him to meet with me regarding our campaign for anomaly scanning.

  

In recent weeks Mr McGrane has contacted me and welcomed an opportunity to meet with me to discuss the important issues raised in my email to the Minister.

I will be meeting with Mr McGrane at Tralee University Hospital on Wednesday 22^nd February, he will also be joined with the recently appointed clinician, Dr Peter McKenna, who is the Clinical Lead for the Programme.

In the meeting I will be giving an insight from a parents perspective from our own personal journey and what we feel needs to be addressed, from the much needed scan to  also highlighting the lack of after care service to families whose baby passes away, specifically for parents and the siblings.

  

If you have had a similar experience or know someone who has and would like to raise any questions please feel free to contact me prior to my meeting and I will ensure your voice is heard.

I will keep you all updated, and I know Isabella will be with me.

Email: jazminesands@gmail.com

Mother to an angel 

Equal access to standardized ultrasound services to be implemented throughout all maternity units

I am delighted to announce that since our campaign started for the right of all expectant mothers to be given routine detailed screening, we are finally seeing progress made. Minister for Health Simon Harris emailed me today confirming that the HSE National Service Plan 2016 committed to the planning and development of equitable access to antenatal anomaly screening throughout all maternity units in the context of emerging maternity networks.

In addition, the National Maternity Strategy is now clear that all women must and will have equal access to standardized ultrasound services. This strategy will be implemented on a phased basis over the coming years which will be led by the National Women & Infants Health Programme.

The newly appointed Director will be meeting with me in due course to discuss the strategy going forward, in this meeting I will be also highlighting the after care service for families who suffer loss of their baby, which through our own experience is seriously neglected.

Words cannot describe how we are feeling now, from such a dark and sad time in our lives our beautiful daughter shed some light from heaven, I knew in my heart she was sent here for a reason, I am so proud of our angel. Our campaign was never darkened around negativity, through our experience we saw a fault in the health care of maternity services and in our daughters memory we simply did not want anyone else to go through what we and many other families have gone through. I have always said that we wanted to work alongside the HSE and not against it and now they have started to implement a plan for all expectant mothers to receive routine anomaly screening nationwide so if anything has been detected proper procedures can be put in place before birth giving all babies a fighting chance.

I am blown away from all the support we have received since Isabella was born and when she grew her wings, I am so proud to be her mum, she is around us always and throughout our campaign this miracle has just proved it.

I will keep you all updated on further progress as this is only the beginning. 

Mother to an angel 

xoxox