A couple from Sidcup have had tattoos of a feeding tube inked onto their stomachs to support their two children who have both been fitted with one.
Rebecca and Tom Golding’s two young children, Isabelle and William, have both needed frequent care from Evelina London Children’s Hospital since they were born.
Rebecca said: “They both have a button gastrostomy, so Tom and I decided to get matching tattoos.
“We wanted to symbolise what we have been through as a family and show Izzy and Will that having a button is something to be proud of.
“Izzy is obsessed with the tattoos, always asking to see them and saying ‘now we are all matching’, and Will has expressed his disappointment that ours don’t move.”
Their daughter, Izzy, was born in April 2018 with trache-oesophageal fistula and oesophageal atresia.
This is a rare birth defect affects a baby's airway and food pipe.
It is a life-threatening condition that requires emergency surgery as a newborn.
At just two days old, Izzy underwent surgery at Evelina London Children’s Hospital which saved her life.
Rebecca said: “During her development in the womb, her food pipe mistakenly connected to her airway instead of to her stomach.
“We didn’t know it at the time, but milk and saliva was going straight to her lungs, which meant she was basically drowning.”
“She was admitted to hospital 16 times in her first year and even now can only eat what you would give to an eight-month-old, like purees and some fruits.
“She can’t swallow fluid and she can’t eat sandwiches, chicken nuggets or ice cream – the things that other four-year-olds like.”
Izzy was fitted with a button gastrostomy, which is a small feeding tube inserted directly into her stomach so that she can receive fluid without swallowing.
This is now her safe and long-term method of getting nutrition.
Their second child, William who was born in October 2019, also had to be transferred to Evelina Children’s Hospital at just two days old.
As a newborn he could not stop vomiting and had trouble breathing.
He was diagnosed with sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection.
Rebecca said: “He stopped breathing twice and had to be resuscitated – it was a really frightening time.
“Will spent three months in the hospital, where multiple tests were carried out which revealed that he too had a problem with his swallow.”
Will was then diagnosed with laryngomalacia, a birth defect where the voice box is soft and floppy.
This means that when the baby takes a breath, the part of the voice box collapses and temporarily blocks the baby's airway.
Will has undergone surgery to make it easier for him to breathe but is still unable to swallow liquid so he also had a button gastrostomy fitted in August 2020 at 10 months old.
Tom Golding, who is a PE teacher, recently rode 400 miles across five days to raise money for Evelina Children’s Hospital.
He tackled the challenge with five other riders and two support drivers, starting and finishing in Inverness between July 25 and 29.
So far the team have raised more than £7,500 and is still accepting donations.
Tom, a PE teacher, said: “I did the ride for three reasons.
“Firstly to raise awareness of Evelina London Children’s Hospital and what they do – they are unsung heroes who save lives every day.
“Secondly, to raise as much money as possible for this incredible hospital so that those who work there can continue to carry out amazing treatment for children who need it most.
“Finally, I wanted to put myself through these tough challenges in order to thank Evelina London for saving my children’s lives – they will never know how grateful I am.”
Louisa Ferguson, a consultant in otolaryngology and cleft lip and palate surgery who operated on Will said: “It is quite uncommon for two children in the same family to have such complex swallowing issues and for both to need a button gastrostomy.
“At Evelina London we have a huge team of specialists who are experienced in dealing with complex and rare conditions, so we’ll continue to be there for Will and Izzy for as long as they need us.
“We are so grateful to families like Tom and Rebecca Golding who go above and beyond to support Evelina London so we can be there for even more children in the future.”
Mr Iain Yardley, a consultant paediatric and neonatal surgeon who operated on Izzy, said: “As a family, the Goldings have faced some really significant challenges with the complex conditions that both Izzy and Will have.
“It has been a massive privilege to be part of the huge team at Evelina London who look after them and support them as a family.
“Watching children like Izzy and Will overcome these challenges to grow up and blossom is why we do what we do.”
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