Noah came into the world far earlier than expected and health problems were suspected. Although Noah required surgery to remove part of his gut shortly after he was born, he recovered quickly and nothing major seemed of immediate concern. However, just eleven months later, Mum Lorna noted, Noah was barely growing and following a series of tests, doctors discovered his gut had not developed at all in the entirety of his first year.

Now aged three, Noah lives with short gut syndrome and he is fitted with an ileostomy, and reliant on feeding tubes for nutrition. In spite of his illness, he remains active and attends nursery. Lora said: “He is unsteady on his feet and walks a bit like a drunk person! Being a toddler means he is always on the go and as his feeding tubes are made of thin plastic, they are constantly being snagged”.

Noah’s feeding tubes required replacement nine times in one year alone and each time Noah was admitted to hospital. Lorna heard about React’s service through a fellow parent she met on the ward and with the help of a paediatrician applied to React requesting specialist vests to keep his lines secure. Noah loves to play with children his age and his parents wanted him to do so without the danger of being sent back to hospital to repair another tube.

Lorna told us: “Hearing React could help was such a relief. The simple process with immediate turn-around meant one less thing to stress about and thanks to React, Noah is much safer at school as it was a constant worry his tubes would break during the rough and tumble of playtimes”.

We are delighted to have supported Noah and offer his family peace of mind.