Baby Lorenzo defies the odds

Specialists at the Norfolk and Norwich Univeristy Hospital are celebrating a triumph of teamwork and co-operation that saw baby Lorenzo Verdura made his eagerly-awaited debut on 17 February despite the odds.

His proud mum, Linda Verdura, from Bedford, had been transferred to NNUH on 29 December 2004 with a complex case of the life-threatening condition placenta praevia. The skills of a wide number of disciplines were needed to manage a complex and risky delivery.

Linda was closely monitored throughout the last weeks of her pregnancy and the caesarian delivery itself was meticulously planned to avert the risk of haemorrhage. Baby Lorenzo then spent several weeks in the care of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before being able to return home.

Specialist registrar Jo Shenoy explains: “It was a particularly risky operation, combining embolisation (to block the blood vessels), a caesarian section and a hysterectomy, but everyone stayed calm and worked really well together. I was proud to be part of such a great multidisciplinary team and I was also delighted for Linda as I had got to know her well over a period of time.”

Linda and her husband Pasquale now have eight children under the age of 13 and they regard Lorenzo as a gift from God.

Linda said: “I knew both our lives were in danger but I also knew my family and friends were praying for me and the doctors made me feel very safe. All the hospital staff were brilliant, from the kitchen staff and chaplains to the doctors and nurses who looked after me. One of the nurses even came in on her day off to help teach me how to crochet – I finished two blankets while I was in hospital!”

• The team involved in Lorenzo’s safe delivery and care on the morning of 17 February included obstetricians David Fraser, Eddie Morris and Jo Shenoy; anaesthetists Rob Harwood, Debbie Brown, Antony Jackson and Nick Saunders; radiologist Paddy Wilson; urologist Edwin Ho; a theatre team led by Catherine Hogden and including Erica Knights and Tracy Howard; midwives Cruella Jones and Vicky Rainbow; and the neonatal team including Paul Clarke.