Oscar with mum Helen and dad Stephen Barrett

by Lizzie Massey

lmassey@thekmgoup.co.uk

A baby boy who weighed less than 2lb when he was born went without his oxygen supply for 14 hours to raise money for the hospital that helped save him.

It was all perfectly safe and marked the continued recovery from a difficult start to life for the brave lad.

Oscar Barrett arrived three months early on March 8, last year, weighing just 1lb 13oz.

He spent 16 weeks in four different hospitals, including six weeks at Darent Valley’s Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).

Mum Helen, 31, stayed with Oscar at the hospital for over three weeks and watched as medical staff tended to her son.

She said: “The doctors and nurses there are amazing people. They saved his life."

"the doctors and nurses there are amazing people. they saved his life" – oscar's mum helen barrett

So when it came to saying thank you, they decided to show how well Oscar was progressing with his breathing, and raise some money at the same time.

When Oscar was allowed home in Heathclose Road, Dartford, in July, he was continuously on oxygen.

He has gradually been weaned off it, with the supply initially stopped for half an hour every day, and up to eight hours by Christmas.

Mrs Barrett said: “We thought, it’s a big target, why not use it as an opportunity to raise some money for Darent Valley.

“Obviously we wouldn’t take away Oscar’s oxygen if he needed it, but he is actually managing for 12 hours now so is absolutely smashing our expectations.”

Oscar’s digestive system was not properly matured when he was born and the muscle at the top of his stomach was so weak that when he ate it caused him pain and he would throw it back up.

It caused him to hold his breath, which brought his oxygen levels dangerously low, and at just 12 weeks he had to have chest compressions to bring him back around.

Mrs Barrett said: “He’s so doing much better now. Because he was so ill the chances of other things going wrong in his development were really high, but we’ve been very lucky and he seems to be developing normally.”

Mrs Barrett and dad Stephen, 31, are hoping Oscar will be off oxygen completely by the end of the month.

Baby Oscar gets special care after just being born

Mrs Barrett added: “Myself, Stephen and the whole family are just so relieved and happy.

“After all he’s been through, he’s managed to come through without being too scathed and so much of that is down to the fantastic care he received.

“The staff at Darent Valley really looked after us as well as Oscar, so we just want to give something back to them all.”

Oscar is raising money for The Little Buds Fund which supports Darent Valley Hospital’s SCBU. The target was £1,000 but already stands at £1,195.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/Oscar-Barrett-for-Little-Buds