#stillBORN Campaign - Alfie's story of Cystomeglovirus

Published on: 27/03/2017

I will start from my 20 week scan because that’s where it all went wrong.  They had previously said our baby boy was healthy.
jordan-scott2At my 20 week scan they found excess fluid around Alfie’s neck but told us not to worry about it because it was border line. Also his bowel was discolored but put that down to him swallowing his wee. This was at Burton Queens hospital. They then sent us to Birmingham Women’s Hospital for a more in depth scan but told us not to worry. We went to Birmingham Women’s Hospital on the 28th August 2014. That’s where they found Alfie’s cerebellum was measuring small. So myself and my partner had to have bloods done and I had to have an amniocentesis done. I then had an MRI scan at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. We got the results on the 12th September. That’s when the doctors sat us down and told us my son had no brain function and had Cystomeglovirus, which is a virus the mother has which can pass through the placenta to the baby. They checked my first bloods I had taken and I’d had it since then but it wasn’t picked up and it was too late to save Alfie. The doctors told me I’d either miscarry or he’ll be stillborn or die in neonatal. So we had to make the hardest decision to stop him from suffering. He only had a 5% chance of surviving and if he did he’d have had no quality of life.
jordan-scott3On the 21st of September 2014 we got sent to Burton Hospital to be induced. 11 hours 40 minutes later Alfie was born sleeping on the 22nd September 2014 weighing 1 pound 3oz, he looked so peaceful and beautiful. I think more should have been done to prevent this from happening. But I’ll forever be thankful for Birmingham Women’s Hospital for picking it up and helping us deal with it. Alfie would be two now. His sister is 3 and his baby brother is one.. but he’ll never be forgotten. My only goal is to save up to buy him a headstone so his resting place looks perfect for a perfect little angel…
Jordan Scott