MOTHER-OF-SEVEN
ABIGIRL DAMBA SAID
THE CARE SHE RECEIVED
FROM JOONDALUP
HEALTH CAMPUS WITH
HER TRIPLET PREGNANCY
FAR SURPASSED WHAT
SHE WOULD HAVE
RECEIVED IN HER
NATIVE COUNTRY OF
ZIMBABWE, WHERE IT
IS NOT UNCOMMON
FOR WOMEN TO GO AN
ENTIRE PREGNANCY
WITHOUT ANY
ANTENATAL SCANS.
“One of my sisters back at home
has twins and she didn’t know
until the birth that she was
carrying two babies!” she said.
Mrs Damba said she was shocked
but also delighted to discover at
NEW WARD,
IMPROVED
CARE
FOR KIDS
SEVEN YEAR OLD LUX
HARRINGTON HAS BEEN
THROUGH MORE IN HER
SHORT LIFE THAN MOST
CHILDREN OF HER AGE -
AND MORE THAN MANY
ADULTS. LUX SUFFERS
FROM MULTIPLE HEALTH
ISSUES, THE MOST
CHALLENGING OF WHICH
IS SEVERE EPILEPSY
WHICH KEEPS HER
WHEEL-CHAIR BOUND
MUCH OF THE TIME.
Her mother, Jo Harrington, said JHC
has become like a second home
over the years: “Lux really spent the
first two years of her life at Joondalup
11 weeks along that she would be
having triplets.
“It was a big shock,” she said.
“I already have four other children
at home!”
JHC obstetrician Dr Maria
Kladnitski said the delivery, via
caesarean section, went smoothly
with all three safely out within
35 minutes.
JHC obstetrics and
gynaecological ultrasound
specialist Dr Bridget Jeffery was
responsible for the scans and
antenatal care throughout the
triplet pregnancy and said Mrs
Damba had done incredibly well
to carry all three babies to 35
weeks and six days.
“Triplets happen naturally in
about one in 8000 Australian
pregnancies,” she said. “Usually
triplets are born around 32 weeks
gestation, so to have carried
these babies until just shy of 36
weeks is very good.”
Health Campus. We spent more time
in than out,” she said.
“I knew from the very start that
there was something wrong. Lots
of health professionals will brush
off a mother’s concerns and put
things down to minor issues – but
at JHC, with our paediatrician
Dr Alide Smit, we never felt that –
she always listened to us and took
our concerns seriously.”
Lux suffered her first grand mal
seizure shortly after turning two.
Then they started happening
every second day, interspersed
with the absence variety of
seizure, which she suffers daily.
“Surgery is not an option for Lux
because her seizures are coming
from different parts of the brain,”
says Jo. “So we are in here a lot.”
“When I come to JHC the staff
actually care about me as the mum
– they’ll look after Lux for me when
I’m covered in vomit and I just need
to shower, or they’ll take the time
to ask if I’ve eaten anything.”
“The new ward is amazing – the
fact that the rooms are mostly
single and contain day beds for
parents is so good for me. Lux
absolutely loves it – especially the
play room and the aquarium. With
the amount of time we spend here
it’s wonderful to be coming to
such a beautiful place.”
COMPLEX
CARE,
CLOSER
TO HOME
JOONDALUP HEALTH CAMPUS | STRATEGIC INTENT 2017 - 2022 15