Atticus

Atticus spent the first five months of his life in hospital. After a cleft repair in November 2015 and insertion of a tracheostomy, Atticus was sent home on 28 December 2015. According to his mum Shannon, it was been quite another journey since with three further hospital admissions, including one to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

“It is difficult to introduce our patient story as although this is Atticus’s medical journey, it is also our family journey,” Shannon said.

“We, like so many other families, considered ourselves ‘normal’ prior to this. My husband Hercules and I were both doing well in our respective careers and looking forward to having another baby, travelling and continuing to enjoy the life we had established. Unfortunately, we are now navigating unchartered waters and are dealing with significant ongoing challenges.

“Our time is spent establishing a routine, maintaining hope, dealing with set-backs and continuing to navigate the complex health and community support system,” Shannon said.

“Although it has been tough at times, our journey has brought us incredible joy, hope and awe not only of our son, but ourselves and the system that has cared for him over the last 12 months.

“Despite our experiences, our interactions with staff at the Queensland Children’s Hospital have always been so positive. Without their support, dedication and professionalism these challenges would have seemed insurmountable. We are eternally grateful.”