The triplets at 30 weeks old, just after being born All three babies doing well at home Follow our X account @RoyalFreeNHS to see what our patients and staff are saying about us Three little miracles born at North Mid 3 to the May/June edition of our bi-monthly staff, members and governors’ magazine. This edition of Freepress comes at a time of important milestones for me. We are approaching the anniversary of the launch of our of clinical strategy and I recently completed my second year as group chief executive of the RFL. It’s always fantastic to hear about all the ways we’re already delivering on our group clinical priorities – cancer, cardiovascular disease, and organ failure and transplantation. On page 9, you can read about how two of our consultant cardiologists performed a new technique to remove a blood clot from a patient’s lung. Research is also a key focus underpinning our strategy. As we work towards becoming a leading research trust, it’s great to see our research and development sample service spotlighted on pages 6 and 7. Their work is crucial to the studies and analysis we do here at the RFL. Patient safety is a prominent feature in this edition with the latest update about the launch of Martha’s Rule on page 4, where teams are carrying out the national programme for reporting concerns around patient deterioration. We also have a remarkable tale about one of our midwives who was actually brought into the world by two of her colleagues. You can read about this fullcircle story on page 8. During a time which feels quite changing, in the NHS and the wider world, please remember to take care of yourselves and each other. I want to say a massive thank you for continuing to deliver the best care for our patients, day in and day out. A proud mum from Enfield recently gave birth to – not one, not two, but three bundles of joy at North Mid. After waiting years to conceive again, 48-year-old Safiya Warsame became a mother of four daughters after giving birth to a ‘miracle’ set of triplets earlier this year. The triplets, two of whom are identical, were born at 30-weeks-old and weighed just two pounds each. Mum Safiya, who works as a caterer in the NHS, had been trying to conceive since her first daughter was born in 2020. She eventually became pregnant with the triplets via in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). Two became three She said: “For me, it’s a miracle and they are miracle babies as I was waiting a long time for another child. When I had my first scan, they told me they could see two babies. After three months, they told me I was having triplets! “Me and my husband were shocked. At first, I thought ‘how can I manage three babies?’ – but then I said, ‘as long as I’m healthy and they’re healthy, I’ll be happy’. I’m not looking for another child now though.” High blood pressure meant Safiya had to have an emergency C-section to deliver the babies almost 10 weeks early. With only 100 sets of triplets born across the UK each year, it was an exceptional day at North Mid when they arrived. Henna Rather, maternal medicine consultant and labour ward lead at North Mid, said: “We had prepped for an early delivery due to Safiya’s blood pressure. Hello and welcome “It’s important to time the delivery to balance mum’s health and the babies’ wellbeing. Safiya was a trooper throughout.” Chloe Hall, resident doctor, helped deliver the triplets. Recounting the experience, she said: “It’s rare to deliver triplets, so I was very privileged to be a part of this. There was a lot of preparation to ensure the operation went smoothly, from equipping theatres for three preterm babies to having a blood bank on hand in case it was needed. “It really was a special day – we all felt it in theatre. It’s something that will stay with me for the rest of my career.” The babies were then looked after by staff in the Starlight neonatal unit for more than eight weeks before they returned home. They have since settled into life at home with mum, dad and their older sister. “They are doing well at home – they’re healthy and happy,” said Safiya. “When the babies were in the hospital, my five-year-old daughter was always asking me when they were coming home. Now that they are, she keeps asking to play with them. I hope they will all be best friends.” When they are old enough, Safiya also hopes to take the triplets to visit family living in Somalia. She shared a message of hope to others: “People shouldn’t give up on having a family if they want children. I almost gave up, but my family helped me and I took another chance. Now, I have four beautiful daughters.” Peter Landstrom Group chief executive It really was a special day - we all felt it in theatre “ “ Key to abbreviations: Barnet Hospital: BH Chase Farm Hospital: CFH North Middlesex University Hospital: North Mid Royal Free Hospital: RFH Royal Free London: RFL 2
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