A Christmas Christening with preterm twins at our Children's Hospital Chapel | News

A Christmas Christening with preterm twins at our Children's Hospital Chapel

We’re overjoyed to hear that our superstar twins by the names of Grayson and Jenson joined our Chaplaincy team for a special Christmas Christening earlier this week, after being in and out of our Women’s and Children’s Hospitals for over a year. Mum, Dad and our Chaplaincy team went above and beyond to ensure that their day was extra special.  family

Being born early at just 24 weeks and 3 days old, the twins received care at our Women’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Across the months at both the Children’s Hospital and the Women’s Hospital, they overcame so many clinical challenges brought on by their prematurity, such as Bronchiolitis, Retinopathy of Prematurity, respiratory issues, bowel perforations to name a few.  

We caught up with mum, Lindsey and dad, Liam from Dudley who had been supporting their little ones through the thick of their journey before returning home to the family, just in time for Christmas. Lindsey said, “We had to get them christened at the Grayson and Jenson in the Hospital Chapel during their Christening, with mum, dad, and Rev. Paul Nash hospital – they've been with us through all of it and we couldn’t not have our christening here. They’re such wonderful people, the Chaplaincy team and the Support Workers that have helped us through. We’ve had to reschedule about 3 or 4 times now because premature babies are unpredictable. They’ve been around the country receiving care all over – at one point we thought we’d have to go to Scotland to get our little ones better.”  

Reverend Paul Nash who baptised the twins was happy to talk to us about the service and how we have seen the twins progress throughout the year. Rev Paul said: “It was a privilege and a joy to baptise Jenson and Grayson in our Children’s Hospital Chapel which has been such a special place of comfort to Lindsey and Liam during the twins’ frequent stays. We have supported them since their birth, the couple wanted their little ones to be christened once they were both well enough. With their underlying conditions, it has been tricky to do before now. It has really lifted everyone’s spirits, family staff, friends – to be able to arrange this has been amazing. Baptism is an opportunity to welcome children like Jenson and Grayson into God’s loving family as well as their own.”  paul

There have numerous occasions where the twins received support from Chaplaincy but sadly not for the same jovial reasons that any parent would hope to have encountered. Our Chaplaincy team provides final blessings for gravely ill children and babies if parents and guardians feel that their little ones may not pull through. Jenson and Grayson have visited the chapel for 5 final blessings, 3 with Jenson and 2 with Grayson. “We’ve had to say our goodbye’s so many times but they always managed to pull through, we even planned Jenson’s funeral at one point because of his critical condition – it was heart wrenching.” 

Lindsey and Liam were fearing the worst after the twins continued to fall fatally ill on many occasions. Thankfully, Tuesday’s Christening was a joyous and festive experience, bringing the whole family together and celebrating the twin’s health. family

Lindsey said, “We’d like to say a very special thank you to the Chaplaincy team along with Matt and his wife who attended, a family who have been through loss who have helped us massively through our journey. Their strength continues to inspire us, and the twins love the teddy bears that they received after from the Woody and Winter Foundation. I’ve met some incredible people whilst being here and I’m happy that we’re now replacing bad memories with good ones just before our next appointment in January. I can now walk through the doors and feel more positive for the future ahead since making this memory in particular.” 

The twins joined us after having their first ever Christmas at home with the family since being born and dressed up in their very own Santa costumes whilst the rest of the attendees wore strictly festive jumpers to keep in with the Yule Tide spirit.  

We’d like to say a huge thank you to our Chaplaincy team across our Children’s and Women’s Hospital sites who helped this family to come together for their sons’ Christmas Christening, ensuring that their day was special and one to be remembered. Wishing Lindsey, Liam, Jenson, Grayson and the entire family a fantastic New Year to be cherished with their little ones. The Chaplaincy team are available to families 24 hours a day, 7 days a weekend often are called to do emergency baptisms, as well as planned with friends and family. 

If you liked this story, read the family’s full story and how they were able to bring their twins home just in time for Christmas. 

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