The parents of a baby boy who stopped breathing after his lungs failed have spoken of the terrifying moment their son nearly died.
Little Brodie Marshall, from Melbourne, was just 17 days old when he started experiencing breathing difficulties.
He was diagnosed with congenital lobar emphysema – a rare respiratory disorder where air can enter the lungs but cannot escape.
Speaking to 9NEWS, parents Vikki and Geoff said Brodie’s left lung had ‘deflated so much, it was pushing his heart to the right’, causing his right lung to ‘squeeze’.
Little Brodie Marshall was just 17 days old when he nearly died after he stopped breathing
‘The only question I remember asking was “is my son going to die?” and their reply was “at this stage we don’t know”,’ Brodie’s mother Vikki said.
Struggling to hold back tears, the couple said they watched helplessly as their baby boy fought for his life in hospital after he stopped breathing.
‘The worst five minutes of my life,’ Vikki said.
Her husband chimed in: ‘To see 15 to 20 people working on your baby, us standing there looking through a window, absolutely helpless, it’s terrifying.’
The couple said they watched helplessly as their baby boy fought for his life in hospital
Against all odds, Brodie proved to be a little fighter after he had half his lung removed following a successful surgery
By sharing their story, the parents wanted other families to draw hope from their experiences
But against all odds, Brodie proved to be a little fighter after he had half his lung removed following a successful surgery.
Now 18 months on, the parents want to thank the team who saved their son’s life.
They are going to rally behind the Monash Children’s Hospital by taking part in the annual walk to raise more than $100,000.
By sharing their story, the parents wanted other families to draw hope from their experiences.
‘Our story could have been incredibly different and to think how close we were to losing him, it’s been an incredible eye-opener,’ Vikki said.