Donna Pike

Bradley's Journey Home Donna Pike

Publisher Marketing: This is the journal of Bradley Pike's fight for survival after a battle against the odds. Bradley was born 13 weeks premature, weighing only 2lb. Bradley spent a total of 15 weeks in hospital being cared for by different nurses and doctors, while his mother looked on helplessly, not feeling like a mother at all. Bradley suffered from a grade 3 bleed on the brain, hydrocephalus and chronic lung disease. These are just the main things that are listed on paper today. He also developed chest infections, meningitis, a broken septum (through continual use of the CPAP), and septicemia during his time in hospital. This is the day by day account of Bradley Pike's journey through hospital. It describes what he went through in order to stay alive and become the cheerful, happy-go-lucky boy that he is today. The journal is told by his mother. It was the only way in which she could deal with the most emotional and unforgettable time of her life. It is a terrifying and almost unreal experience to watch your baby grow and develop in this tiny incubator when you should not really be seeing this kind of growth take place, as it usually occurs in the womb. As a mother, you feel helpless and like a part of you has been taken away early. Your baby's life is totally in the hands of the doctors and nurses surrounding you. You can do no more but look on at your baby, hold them if you can, talk to them and pray. Three years on, Bradley has been diagnosed with mild Cerebral Palsy so has a few more battles to contend with in his life. However, he still remains the most cheerful, cheeky and loveable boy that anyone could ever meet.