Baby celebrates first birthday at home after spending 320 days in hospital

A baby born with a rare medical condition and holes in his heart has celebrated his first birthday at home after spending 320 days in hospital.

River Stephen Camile Mbunzama was born in the Royal Alexandra Hospital with tracheobronchomalacia (TBM), a unique condition where the windpipe tissue is unusually soft and weak.

He also has an atrial septal defect in his heart, two small heart holes and a laryngeal cleft, adding to the complexity of the situation.

His condition was first raised after he showed challenges with breathing and feeding, with River born on August 26, 2023.

River's parents were told 'he may not make the night' following a complex surgery. — River’s parents were told ‘he may not make the night’ following a complex surgery. NHS GGC via Supplied

River subsequently spent 11 months in the hospital, including the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and underwent more than 20 procedures during this time.

Speaking about the last year, mum Roseann said: “I remember when River graduated from NICU to the Special Care Baby Unit in December followed by his first proper bath. The little things were massive to us.

“Unfortunately, we ended up back in NICU days later due to him catching a virus, which could have been critical. He only spent two days in NICU then got moved to the PICU.

“Soon after, we had another positive milestone moment. We saw River without any respiratory support for the first time. Seeing his full face again was beautiful.

River Stephen Camile Mbunzama was born in the Royal Alexandra Hospital with tracheobronchomalacia (TBM), a unique condition where the windpipe tissue is unusually soft and weak. NHSGGC

“However, following this, he went on to have severe choking episodes and at one point stopped breathing in Rudy’s arms. A terrifying emergency intubation followed to save his life and he ended up back on a ventilator in PICU.”

The surgical procedure found that parts of River’s small intestine was dead and had to be cut out, with a new feeding tube put in.

Roseann and dad Rudy were told by doctors that the tot “might not make it through the night”.

To their relief, he did, but in total 57cms were cut out and a new feeding tube was put in, resulting in River losing all his core strength and head control.

River celebrates his first birthday at home after spending his first 320 days of life in the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow. NHSGGC

However, a physiotherapy and occupational therapy team put a plan in place to help the tot regain the strength he once had.

In the following months, there were further setbacks, but River defied the odds and was let home for the first ever time on July 11.

Roseann said: “We have noticed a huge leap in River’s development in the short time that he has been home already.

“He has a long journey ahead of him. But at the end of the day after all the trauma, pain, tears, stress and heartbreak we endured… we finally get to have our boy home with us, where he belongs.”

River has defied the odds to celebrate his first birthday at home. NHS via Supplied

On Monday, River celebrated his first birthday alongside his family at home in Helensburgh.

Roseann stressed her gratitude to all the teams involved in River’s care, and revealed she shared her son’s story to celebrate the tenacity and fight that he has given.

She said: “We can’t thank all the teams enough for everything they have done for us and River. All the Consultants and of course last by no means least, the nurses, students to seniors.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.”