Lamees’s first few months were just awful for both her and her family. She was born far too early at just 7 months. There was nothing that didn’t go wrong after that. She couldn’t breathe on her own so required ventilation (breathing machine) and during her ICU stay she experienced meningitis and multiple chest infections. This left her with visual and hearing loss and an inability to swallow safely. She had a feeding tube placed directly into her stomach which made a big difference.
She was the light and life of her family; regardless of how much she had been through, she would flash her beautiful smile.
Sadly, when she was 3 years old her chest weakened. One chest infection led to another and she was bouncing in and out of hospital. It was at this point she was referred to the palliative care team. She was in hospital yet again and was really struggling. We met with the family and spoke realistically about Lamees’s condition and what the future would hold. Realising, there was little we could do to improve her overall condition, they chose to take her home and keep her comfortable, surrounded by those that loved her. We were able to visit them at home ensuring that Lamees was peaceful until she died.
After her death, we continued to visit to support the family in their bereavement. They have since started the Lamees Ryan Foundation to support families and children like Lamees.