Bourton Family - Hamilton
Tammy and Liam Bourton are about to celebrate their fifth anniversary, enjoying life as a young family of four in Hamilton East. They met at university and in their down time enjoy being creative, running marathons and spending time together. They were overjoyed when they found out they were pregnant with twins, due late 2024. As with most twin pregnancies, antenatal issues and preterm birth were to be expected, however ‘twin 2’ Felix’s heart showed concerning complications from early on.
At 23 weeks’ pregnant, Tammy had one of her regular scans in Auckland Hospital. It was during this scan that twin Felix was diagnosed with aortic atresia, along with a ventricular septal defect (VSD). Aortic atresia is a rare heart condition, in which the chamber of your heart that pumps blood to the body doesn’t develop – resulting in surgery shortly after birth. “The surgery is quite high risk,” Dad Liam explains, “it has a roughly 10% fatality rate for a full-term baby, and also ongoing risks for developmental issues caused by the operation.” The parents to be were introduced to a plethora of specialists, and Tammy needed weekly scans; they relocated to Auckland at 36 weeks’ gestation – a week before their induction. 
Luckily, the twins both grew well, and were born at 37 weeks 2 days’ gestation – at healthy weights. On the third day post birth, Felix was taken into surgery. “Watching your tiny baby get wheeled into surgery isn’t something that’s easy to prepare for,” Liam explain, “we were both really anxious and tried to remain positive for each other, but I know it took a toll – especially on Tammy.” The surgery went well, however just three days later complications arose when Felix’s pacing wire needed to be removed. His vital stats began to drop, and the hospital had to do an emergency reopening of his chest to stop the bleeding in his heart. Liam says, “after this, the hits just kept coming. He had abnormal heart rhythms, fluid build-up, diaphragm palsy, hydrocephalus (swelling in the brain), milk intolerance and much more. The first two and a half months of his life included multiple surgeries and meant staying in PICU.”
The Bourtons arrived at Ronald McDonald House a week before Tammy’s induction date, with no idea of what to expect. “We were completely blown away when we arrived,” says Liam, “the staff were so lovely, and the place allowed us to relax and settle in during an extremely unsettling time.” They found the staff went above and beyond – offering practical help in the form of food, supplies and clothing, but more importantly, emotional support when they needed to chat. “We connected with so many families at Ronald McDonald House facing similar situations,” says Liam, “it was so nice to have others that could relate to what we were going through, and they offered guidance and tips in how to cope. We found strength in them, to keep tackling each bump in the journey.”
Felix eventually moved onto the Heartward at the national children’s hospital, where he turned a corner and started excelling. “He rapidly caught up to his sister, Macy,” Liam says, “it was lovely to be able to let out our breaths and begin to really enjoy our new family.” Felix is now five months old, and has been transferred to Waikato Hospital where he awaits his next heart surgery. While he is still on hospital feeding support, all of his major stats are stable and his development is getting better every day.
Liam is still so grateful for the part RMHC NZ played in supporting his family during their toughest times. “Without Ronald McDonald House we really would have been lost. The fact we were able to be together as a family in such a necessary time was fundamental to us getting through our journey,” he says, “adding to this the help and support from the staff making sure to take the time to check in on us, provide us with food, take care of the little things so we could focus on our new family is simply remarkable.”
“RMHC NZ very much became a home away from home for us and it really fills our heart to know it is there for us whenever we need to return for Felix's future hospital stays.”