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100 women of Bella
Eliza Moon — 1
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And it was sheer luck that Carmen and her husband Stacey weren’t there at the When her mum Carmen gave birth to her time — because they had she knew instantly something was wrong. been just minutes earlier. “My motherly instinct kicked in and because “We were told to get out she was my fourth baby I could tell someof the hospital while she thing was different and I knew something was in surgery for at least was not right,” Carmen said. eight hours,” Carmen said. Eliza arrived with her hand bent over and “So we caught a tram without a sucking reflex. into the city and caught But this was just the beginning for what has a movie — but I couldn’t concentrate and I just been a whirlwind 16 months of Eliza’s life. wanted to get back to “Often the wrist and heart are connected at my baby. birth, due to the timing of their growth but “So we went back to the when the x-ray of her hand came back fine I hospital and were just was relieved,” Carmen said. going to wait in the “That was until they did the ultrasound on recovery room for her her heart. to come out. “I was looking at the ultrasound as it was “As we were on the tram taking place and I just knew and could see back to the hospital the holes in her heart.” we saw all these police Eliza was born with two holes in her heart cars fly past us and and the inevitable open heart surgery was we just knew somehorrible had something the anxious mother eventually thing happened. had to agree to. LTHOUGH ONE-YEAR-OLD Eliza Moon isn’t aware of it, she is a miracle baby.
“We had to put some weight on her but “When we got to the because she didn’t have the natural suck- hospital, this is something I will never ing action it was torture trying to get her to forget, we saw a feed,” Carmen said. police man running in “I had to smack her bum every time for her to the hospital with to latch on and feed. the three-month-old “I had breastfed all my other babies and I baby that died in the wasn’t going to stop now, even if she was rampage.” hooked up to all these machines and tubes.” Eliza could have woken up without her Before Eliza was big enough for surgery, parents. doctors insisted on genetic testing.
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But she woke up and with strength her parents did not know she had, she kept From there, Eliza grew stronger but learnt enduring what was needed. quickly that whenever the door opened to “But without that test we wouldn’t have “It is amazing what she had to endure,” her hospital room, something was going to found out Eliza had DiGeorge syndrome.” Carmen said. hurt. DiGeorge syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that results in poor development “But when I saw her for the first time after “I remember her looking at me in the hospiher surgery I didn’t recognise her. It was like tal room every time the door opened as if to of several bodily systems. she was a different baby. say ‘please don’t let them do anything more It can cause heart defects and a poor to me’,” Carmen said. “It was horrible. Your role as a parent is taken immune system, like it did with Eliza. away from you and you can’t do anything “To see that fear in her eyes and that you can’t “There are 180 different things that could go to help her.” take that away from them is heartbreaking.” wrong, but thankfully all of them are treataEvery day during her recovery, Carmen andEliza eventually came home to Rochester ble,” Carmen said. Stacey got to take a tube or cord off her and although she has regular check-ups, “So we have been going through different and see how she went. she is a happy and healthy baby. tests as she has been growing and crossing But it was when the doctors pulled her “It was all like a dream,” Carmen said. them off our list or adding them to it. pacemaker cords out that Carmen remem“I have a newfound appreciation of the Royal “And as she kept growing, the open heart bers the most. Children’s Hospital and we are so fortunate surgery grew closer — I just kept saying “no”. “I didn’t really know how they were going to to live in Australia and have access to the “But we had to bite the bullet and on January do it because she had cords going into her health system that we do. It is something 20 this year she went into surgery at the heart and the doctors said ‘are you ready we take for granted. Royal Children’s Hospital.” mum?’ and I just agreed not really sure what “If it wasn’t for all the amazing medical staff was going to happen,” she said. This day has become synonymous as the here in Rochester and Echuca and down in day a man drove down Bourke St, killing six “And then they just yanked them out, it Melbourne, our circumstances could have shocked me so much.” and injuring dozens. been a lot different.” “I didn’t really think anything of it — it was just another test,” Carmen said.
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