Publish date: 15 July 2024
Newborn Cara Hallissey has been welcomed home after spending seven weeks in Queen Alexandra (QA) Hospital following a diagnosis of a rare form of diabetes.
Transient Neonatal Diabetes is caused by a change in a gene which affects insulin production. Fewer than 100 people are currently diagnosed with the condition in the UK. This rare type of diabetes is often resolved between 3 and 18 months old but there is a 50% chance it comes back later in a patient’s life, generally during teenage years.
Cara is the first case ever seen at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU). Mother, Marie Hallissey, 30, was induced at 37 weeks and gave birth to her daughter in April. Within a few hours, Cara was rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit due to low temperatures and an unusually high blood sugar. Due to both parents having diabetes themselves, blood tests were sent to the Exeter Clinical Laboratory and genetic testing confirmed Cara had this rare form of diabetes.
After seven weeks of close check-ups and monitoring, Cara has finally gone home for the first time and mother Marie is thanking the staff at PHU for their support.
Marie said: “Everyone was amazing. From the Neonatal Intensive Care Team to the Diabetes Team to the Paediatric Department, I have never known such consistently decent staff. The care and compassion was always there and I could have a laugh with them which made a big difference.
“There’s a lot of poorly babies here and I don’t think staff realise how much of a lifeline they are to parents,” she added. “It’s heart-breaking to see all the ill babies in NICU but the team are so on it and absolutely wonderful. I was reassured to leave my baby in their care. I trusted them completely.”
Julia Hamilton, Paediatric Diabetes Nurse at PHU, said: “It was a pleasure to work with Cara and her parents. This was a first for the Paediatric Diabetes Team, as we had never before used an insulin pump on a baby as young or small as little Cara.
“It took a lot of thought and planning, but it was felt that this would be the safest way to deliver the required insulin for Cara. We were thrilled that it allowed Mum and Dad to take Cara off the ward for the very first time and show off their gorgeous new baby (even if initially it was only to the hospital's Costa)! We are thrilled that she is now doing so well, at home with Mum and Dad.”
Cara is now enjoying time at home and spending time with her family.
Marie added: “I can’t thank the staff at QA Hospital enough. They made sure everything was ready for us to go home and I’m so grateful for everything they’ve done for us during this tough time.”