On the last Christmas Eve, 8-year-old Jacobe Cook caused his parents quite a fright when he started having difficulty breathing and his lips turned blue.
Jacobe had begun to feel unwell the day before and has a history of pneumonia. However, this year’s Christmas 2023 was particularly traumatic for his family as his condition deteriorated rapidly, necessitating a trip to the Freeman Hospital.
Mum, Sarah Roberts, first took him to an urgent care center, then to North Tees Hospital. Initially, the medical staff suspected he had a stomach bug and sent him home, instructing his parents to monitor his condition closely. Sarah and dad Gary did just that, but on Christmas Eve, things took a turn for the worse.
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Sarah recounted, “Jacobe was up all night being sick, maintaining a high temperature and complaining of pain in his shoulders and back. By the next morning, on Christmas Eve, he struggled to breathe.”
“We quickly took him back to urgent care and, while we were waiting, his condition worsened significantly. He was working hard to breathe; his lips had turned blue, and his arms and hands were turning purple. He was immediately seen by a doctor who administered oxygen and suspected he might be septic.”
An ambulance quickly transported us back to North Tees Hospital, where Jacobe underwent numerous assessments to rule out meningitis or any infection. An x-ray revealed that he was suffering from severe pneumonia in his left lung, leading to him being kept on oxygen and started on antibiotics.
At this point, Sarah noted that her son was “really poorly,” and they faced a nerve-wracking Christmas Day when a doctor informed them that Jacobe was in serious condition and had fluid in his lungs. She explained, “Hearing that was extremely worrying and frightening for us. A scan was needed to confirm the fluid, but it couldn’t be done until Boxing Day due to the reduced staff.”
The scan confirmed the presence of fluid, but the type was uncertain, prompting a transfer to Freeman Hospital for specialized care. Sarah shared, “We arrived on December 28 and suddenly realized we were an hour away from home, our son was critically ill in hospital, and we had nowhere to stay.”
They stayed at the hospital that first night, and as they tried to figure out their accommodations, the nurses informed them about Scott House, a ‘Home from Home’ that provides accommodation for families with hospitalized children.
Scott House, run by the charity Sick Children’s Trust, offers families a place to stay during their child’s hospitalization. Sarah described it as “an absolute lifesaver.” It provided everything they needed and kept them just minutes away from Jacobe.
“I was determined to stay at the hospital regardless, since I couldn’t be away from Jacobe. The limited space in the wards meant Gary could be with us and then return to Scott House for some rest. Without it, our only option would have been to sleep in the waiting rooms. We couldn’t afford a hotel, especially not knowing how long Jacobe would be in the hospital,” she said.
With everything transpiring during Christmas, Sarah noted, “It made everything feel much more challenging. Traditionally, it’s a joyful time, but to us, it felt like everything had come to a standstill. The hospital had Christmas decorations, and staff kindly gifted Jacobe presents, which was wonderful. However, his illness made us hesitant to celebrate.”
Due to Jacobe’s condition, she explained, “Our lives were essentially paused. The presents under the tree at home remained wrapped, and we didn’t see any family.” She continued, “In reality, Christmas took a back seat for us. We were entirely focused on his recovery.”
Over the following days and into the New Year, the NHS staff worked to drain the fluid from Jacob’s chest. By January 4, it became evident that surgery was required to remove an “empyema,” a pus-filled sac that had caused his lung to collapse.
Thankfully, Jacobe recovered and was discharged on January 12. Sarah commented on her son’s progress since then, stating, “Jacobe has had a few episodes of pneumonia since, but each was managed successfully with antibiotics.”
“Now he’s doing so much better, full of energy, and back to his usual self. He’s looking forward to Christmas, and we can’t wait to have a big roast dinner and spend quality time together as a family, relaxing and playing,” she expressed.
“We will always be thankful to The Sick Children’s Trust for their amazing support at Scott House. If you’re able to contribute to their Christmas appeal, please consider doing so – your donation will mean a great deal to families trying to remain close to their seriously ill children, just as we did.”
To support the Sick Children’s Trust, click here.
K R Ravindran, one of Sri Lanka’s esteemed business figures and the only Sri Lankan to serve as Rotary International President from Chicago, USA, was honored as one of the Top 10 Diversity Champions by WIM/IFC (a member of the World Bank) for his contributions to promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within Rotary and his workplace.
