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A child who has spent most of his young life in hospital is preparing to celebrate his first Christmas at home after finally being discharged.
Bertie Melly, born just 24 weeks premature in May 2024, weighed just 1 pound 10 ounces and has endured more than 500 days of medical care.
Bertie’s challenging beginning included five operations after being diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious condition affecting the intestines.
Now, 547 days later, he is at home in Bromley with his parents, Phoebe and Callum Melly, who lovingly describe their son as “a remarkable little human being”. Families are eagerly waiting to spend the festive season with loved ones.
Born after a rapid 17-minute labor at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, Bertie had his first bowel surgery at just 10 days old.
He spent his first six months in neonatal intensive care before being transferred to Evelina London Children’s Hospital, where his parents stayed at Ronald McDonald House to stay nearby.
Evelina’s neonatal team noted that the average NICU stay for a 24-week premature baby is typically around six months, highlighting Bertie’s extended journey.
Despite the enormous challenges, Bertie’s father, Callum Melly, 37, shared with the Press Association that his son is “the happiest child I have ever known.”
He elaborated: “Considering everything that’s happened to him – if you look at his hands, his hands are full of wounds because of the amount of cannulas he’s had in, he’s got deep gashes all over his stomach – and he wakes up smiling, goes to bed smiling. He’s a remarkable little human being.”
Bertie’s mother, Phoebe Melly, 34, credits her son’s joyful nature to the “love and affection” he received from the dedicated medical staff.
She told PA: “In the NICU and on Evelina’s pediatric ward, everyone loved her and really cared for her, which was great, and I think it really helped her get to where she is today.”
According to Mrs. Melly, since his discharge in November, Bertie is “thriving”. She noted his rapid physical development: “He’s developing really well physically, I think he’s not too far in walking now. He’s climbing stairs, getting on and off sofas, and getting a little more confident with his standing.”
Mr Melly said staying at home feels “very normal” and despite only being at home for four weeks, being in hospital is “almost a distant memory now”.
The family has already taken Bertie to meet Father Christmas, although Mrs. Melly jokes that he is “more interested in all the decorations.”
She especially looks forward to buying gifts for him this year, a luxury limited to hospital space.
Medically, Bertie is “really making some good progress”, although Mrs Melly admits that “there is always a risk that he could have a bowel blockage later in life”, although this is not certain.
Following his operation, Bertie is living with “short bowel”, with approximately 70 per cent of his small intestine having been destroyed.
Currently he is tube-fed and receives essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids directly into his bloodstream through an IV line.
The family’s immediate goal is to increase his intake of solid foods, with the goal of eventually weaning him off both types of foods. Mr Melly hopes the IV nutrition line, which goes straight to Bertie’s heart, can be removed within six months to a year.
She explained, “If he can cross that line, it means we can live a fairly normal life until he eats enough to remove the milk pump.”
Recalling the early stages, Mrs Melly said she was “very relieved” when she went to hospital with bleeding in May 2024, as an assessment indicated a low risk of an immediate birth.
She was told she could remain on bed rest for a week before returning home. “We didn’t know what would happen next, and I actually think that was probably a good thing, because we really took each day as it came,” she reflected. “We didn’t think too far ahead. We dealt with one problem at a time.”
Bertie’s “biggest” health issue at birth was his intestines, but the family also had “a lot of trouble” with his breathing.
Mrs Melly said: “He was intubated for long periods of time, and there were times when his lungs stopped working completely.”
He added, “You can’t think too far ahead – there were times I didn’t even think we’d be sitting here today, and we’re at home with him.
“So in that sense, it’s comforting to know that, although you have those deep fears in your mind, in reality, we’ve made so much progress in 18 months, so who knows where we’ll be in a year.”
The couple expressed their “eternal gratitude” to the Evelina team for their unwavering support.
Mr Melly insisted: “They saved her life at the end of the day on countless occasions.”
Ian Yardley, consultant pediatric and neonatal surgeon at Evelina London, who was involved in Bertie’s care, praised the family: “Bertie has faced many challenges in his short life.
“She and her parents have faced these challenges with extraordinary grace and courage. Seeing her go home has been heartbreaking for all of us and we couldn’t be happier for her and her family.”