By Amy Pollock
A BRAVE Bangor boy who was given a slim chance of survival after birth has once again beat the odds as he settles into P1.
When Baxter Mann entered the world five weeks early in March 2021, his parents were devastated to be told to say their goodbyes. The tiny tot, who weighed just 4lbs, was diagnosed with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), a serious condition where abdominal organs move into the chest cavity.
Just days after he was born, baby Baxter was transferred to a hospital in Glasgow to undergo life-saving surgery. Despite doctors’ fears that he would not make the journey across the water – Baxter managed to prove even the professionals wrong.
Defying the odds soon became a pattern for the little fighter. After battling through several major operations to move his organs and spending the first 15 months of his life in hospital, Baxter finally made it home to Bangor to be with his parents and two older brothers in July 2022.
Talking of her son’s progress, Ashton Smyth said when Baxter was discharged from hospital, he was on oxygen 24 hours a day, multiple medications five times a day, and fully tube fed.
“From then to now, we’ve actually been able to get him off all oxygen – he doesn’t require anything at all – only when he gets a cold or a flu is when he’ll need it, which thankfully he hasn’t had in the last year. And he doesn’t even have to have any medication,” she explained.
“He’s still fully tube fed, but before, it was constant – he was only getting a four hour break. Now, he only needs two feeds a day and then an overnight one, so he’s far more free now.”
She said looking back, Baxter’s early life feels ‘like a dream’ to her.
Recalling when doctors were convinced that Baxter would be dependent on oxygen for the rest of his life and never out of intensive care, she said her son’s resilience ‘blows her mind’ and ‘inspires her’ every day.
“He’s incredible and so strong, he just gets on with things no matter what.
“He started walking by himself independently just over a year ago. He still can’t sit up and sit down by himself or do stairs, but as long as you get him up on his feet he just walks away everywhere. I’m delighted with him,” she said.
Throughout the rollercoaster of highs and lows, Baxter continues to show his strength, having recently started P1 at Clifton School in Bangor – a milestone his family are ‘so proud’ to see.
Speaking of his first day, Ashton said while she was worried for him, Baxter was ‘so excited’ for his next big chapter.
“I was so nervous because I’ve shielded Baxter a lot from the world, so for him to go into P1, I didn’t know how he was going to cope. But on his first day, he took the girl’s hand and walked away and didn’t look back – that was him – he was just ready,” said Ashton.
“The school has been amazing… he just loves it. From the minute you’re putting his shoes and coat on he’s just happy, clapping the whole way there.”
Looking to the future, Ashton said: “Our next steps are to try to get him tasting some foods and focus on his way of communication and hopefully, some day in the future, he’ll be tube free.
“Moving forward, he just continues to push through any hurdle and his progression is something that was only a dream during those 15 months in hospital. “He is just my wee walking miracle every day,” she said.
