A VERY special reunion took place at Club Bega recently.
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Bega resident Elvie Preo organised a reunion of the maternity nursing staff who were involved in the birth and care of her son Matthew Preo, born nearly 40 years ago and the smallest premature baby to survive and be cared for at the Bega District Hospital.
Elvie came into premature labour at approximately 24 weeks gestation and was delivered 10 days later on February 7, 1975.
Matthew was placed in the hospital's humidicrib weighing 1lb 11oz (788 grams).
Elvie decided not to have Matthew moved to a larger centre even after he was experiencing apnoea attacks due to his immature lungs.
He was finally placed on an apnoea alarm blanket in the humidicrib, which gave off a canary-like sound when no movement was detected from his body to indicate he had stopped breathing.
This brought instant attention from the nursing staff to start him breathing again.
Matthew was tube fed every two hours for six weeks, when he finally regained his birth weight and stopped having apnoea attacks.
Finally, a week after Mother’s Day in May, Matthew was allowed out of the humidicrib and placed in a cot where he continued to thrive.
On June 17, he was allowed home after four months and 10 days of constant care.
When Elvie was asked what she attributed her baby's survival to, she said “thanks to God and the wonderful staff at the Bega Hospital".
Of course, after leaving hospital, many more people were involved in the care of Matthew as he developed along the way to become the special person he is today - husband to Ree and father to daughter Katie.
Some of Matthew's talents were to become singing, playing the guitar and even announcing on the local radio station.
It was wonderful for those involved in Matthew’s care so long ago to see him again with his family and catch up with his present life.
