The Little Family - Gore
Carl and Chloe Little live in Gore with their four children. Their youngest, Cruz, was born during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and had a “textbook birth”. Six weeks later however, Chloe and Carl were growing more concerned about Cruz’s reflux. “He was in agony,” Chloe says, “he was even starting to seizure-like movements and episodes where he stopped breathing.” 
Understandably concerned, they went to see their Paediatrician in Invercargill who informed them that Cruz had severe GERD, laryngospasms, episodes of Sandifer syndrome along with CMPA. A complex diagnosis to say the least, the parents had to spend the next few months adjusting to medications while navigating Cruz’s breathing and feeding issues. During this stressful time the family stayed at the Ronald McDonald Family Room in Southland Hospital, while Cruz underwent tests and treatment. Chloe remembers, “the staff at the Family Room were so accommodating to our needs, offering snacks and the use of the washing and drying facilities – when you have a reflux baby, this is so crucial!” She found the space to be a calming escape and a place to “regroup and take a breather from the hospital environment”.
Aged one, the Littles flew to Christchurch for Cruz to have biopsies and a scope done in preparation for a Nissen fundoplication, a surgical procedure used to treat reflux. They returned when he was almost three for the surgery itself. During this time Chloe and Carl stayed at the Christchurch Ronald McDonald House, just down the road from the hospital. “This was our baby’s first surgical procedure,” remembers Chloe, “it was understandably a really stressful and emotional time. Ronald McDonald House provided us with everything we needed, and being so close to the hospital took a huge weight off our shoulders.”
“The staff in both cities are just so welcoming and kind, making sure we had everything we needed,” says Chloe. “After one particularly long exhausting day in hospital, Cruz vomited all over me and I hadn’t packed much in the way of clothes – I was just about in tears,” she remembers, “one of the staff made sure my clothes were laundered, and it just meant the world to me. Sometimes a small act of kindness goes a long way.” They also bonded with other families staying in the Christchurch House, and seeing how resilient those parents had to be in the face of extremely difficult journeys gave Chloe a lot of strength. “We felt so humbled to be surrounded by people going through so much – it was incredibly inspiring.”
Little Cruz still has a journey ahead. Due to the fundoplication, he is unable to vomit and needs to have an NG tube inserted in hospital if he is unwell. He is working with a development team for diastasis and balance issues, rheumatology for episodes of high fevers and orthotics waiting for a binder. Chloe says that knowing they’ll have the support of RMHC NZ when Cruz needs treatment or surgery in the future is a blessing. “It gives us peace of mind and makes our time in hospital a lot more manageable. It feels like a home, and we’re so grateful to have RMHC when we need it most.”
