A father who feared for his newborn baby as he suffered through seizures is campaigning for more equipment to support high dependency babies in similar situations.

Shaun and Laura Drury, from Harpenden, were shocked to have a team of consultants and doctors escort their son Olly to a resuscitation table just after his birth on October 15, 2020.

Olly was taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Luton and Dunstable Hospital – a unit that tends for most high dependency babies in Hertfordshire and the south east of England.

Recalling the experience, the father said: “After he (Olly) came into this world, he just kind of shut down really. It wasn’t expected, he had to be resuscitated.

“It took about 15 minutes to bring him around, he was quite blue at the time. He was recovering and brought back in, but they weren’t happy with him.”

Olly was put on a ventilator and needed monitoring after the birth

Olly was put on a ventilator and needed monitoring after the birth

Mr Drury followed the doctors as he watched Olly’s “lifeless” body being cared for by hospital staff. And after the initial 15 minutes, Olly began to have several seizures and needed to be sedated at a low temperature for three days to prevent another seizure.

It was not until four or five days that the family finally heard positive news of Olly’s recovery.

Now, Mr Drury says the “outlooks is quite good” as Olly appears to be healthy, while he still requires check ups by nine months and two years to assure, he is developing well.

Olly is now healthy and looking well after the difficult birth

Olly is now healthy and looking well after the difficult birth

The father praised staff at the NICU, including consultant Jean Egyepong, who reassured the couple despite the bleak period.

Mr Drury, who was already a father to two other boys – Jack and Theo – says that after the experience they went through, it is important to give back to the hospital for families in similar situations.

Shaun (left) and Laura (right)

Shaun (left) and Laura (right)

Recalling Olly’s birth, he said: “I felt why us. I didn’t understand how everything that was going so well could turn so wrong. It was very quick in a matter of a few hours. I think he was in labour for six hours and all the way through everyone was laughing and joking – and all of a sudden it just stopped.

“I shielded my wife a lot from the resuscitation process, she was crying out from the labour room if everything was okay.”

And in just a week of launching their fundraiser for three patient monitors and equipment for the NICU, the couple already achieved half of their £24,000 goal.

He continued: “They’re literally a life saver and you don’t realise what you need until it’s there at your doorstep.”

To donate to the fundraiser, visit: https://bit.ly/3bhKbQY