A desperate mum has issued a heartfelt plea to save her baby with experimental US treatment – after being told by doctors he will never come home.
Shan Tuner, 21, gave birth to baby Archie at just 27 weeks and he was soon diagnosed with Chronic Lung Disease because his lungs weren’t fully formed.
After spending the last five months on the neonatal ward at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Devon, Archie is now battling pneumonia and is on a ventilator.
Shan believes treatment used in the US could save baby Archie, but UK doctors have warned that he would not return from the trip.
She is now trying to raise money to get Archie over to the US for the treatment and has set up a GoFundMe page
She said: “I’ve done so much research into this.
“I know for a fact that it has saved loads of babies and they have eventually been healthy enough to go home, and have learnt to walk and talk.
“The protocol involves changing the ventilation settings, so it’s not like we are asking for a form of expensive treatment.
“Doctors have said it won’t save his life, but what is there to lose if he is dying anyway?”
Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio have been carrying out a ventilation protocol on premature infants with lung conditions similar to Archie’s for a decade.
With a 96 per cent success rate, it has been proven to save the lives of many babies, according to medical reports.
But British medics have told Shan and Jamie that there is no longer anything they can do to improve Archie’s condition.
Shan’s GoFundMe page, ‘Saving Archie’ reads: “Archie was born at 27+2 weeks on March 12th. He was diagnosed with a disease called Chronic Lung Disease.
“Still to this day we are in hospital fighting for Archies life due to this horrible condition he has developed by being premature.
“Archie is currently battling pneumonia and has gone back onto the ventilator. The doctors say to us that Archie will not overcome this and he will never come home.
“There is a protocol which is used in Nationwide, Ohio that could potentially save his life.
“The doctors are sceptical as it hasn’t been done in the UK before and are telling me no.
“This protocol has a 96 per cent success rate and is becoming the future of treating babies Archie’s age with CLD.
“We need everyone’s help to save our little boy, he deserves a future just like everyone else. We cannot let his lungs defeat him.”
In addition, Shan has also set up a Facebook page which has over 1,000 members in support of Archie’s story, some from as far away as the United States.
She added: “The staff on the neonatal ward at Derriford have been fabulous, they are like a second family to us because we have been here so long.
“But Archie’s condition seems to be out of their expertise now, and Bristol Children’s Hospital won’t take him at the moment either.
“I have been in touch with Nationwide’s consultant who is more than happy to help and even willing to discuss transfers, but our consultants have to contact them.
“Time is running out, I need someone to do these protocols to try and save our son.”
To donate to the GoFundMe, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/ynczx-saving-archie
