From the very beginning

part 1

Tuesday 24 June 1986, I Jacquiine Nymphe was born in Westville Hospital Kwa-Zulu Natal South Africa. I was born to Elise and Richard Nymphe. I was born 8 weeks premature with holes in my heart and a mere 1.3kg. I also went without oxygen to my brain for an extended period of time and was born blue due to no oxygen to my body. If this was not enough to overcome I was born a heroin baby and would have to go through heroin withdrawls with no lungs as a result of being born 8 weeks premature, before your lungs develop. The Doctors were not very optimistic about my survival due to all my complications and mainly lack of oxygen and the heroin withdrawl I would be soon going through. I went for so long without oxygen that the doctors declared me "Dead" they called my death time.

There was one doctor that particular day Dr Crutchley that for some or other reason thought I was a survivour and he started CPR and just continued and continued believing that I would pull through. The other doctors told Dr Crutchley to stop CRP because they said that due to the lack of oxygen to my brain for so long that even if I were to survive that I would have no qualiy of life and would be bound to a wheel chair as I would never walk and never live a normal functioning life. The Doctors felt it was better I was left to "Die" than to let me live.

Dr Crutchley continued CPR despite being told numerous times to stop and I eventually came to and started breathing. I was put into the NICU where I would be closely moniorted and would need many weeks of intensive care. The doctors at this point did not know if I woudd be brain damaged or if I would even make it through the night. I had one huge mountain to climb ahead of me and the fact that I only had 1 doctor on my side believing in me was'nt very reassuring. My life was in the balance of Doctors and medicine in 1986. For the past 7 months my 'Mother" did not take very good care of me and did not give me a very good chance to succeed at life. She made choices on my behalf while pregnant that would ultimately affrect my entire life or lack there of.

The nurses in the hospital soon grew very attached to me and they put a note on the bottom of my crib that said ' Head Girl- Any naughty children are to be reported to Jacky.' I would spend the next 2 months in the hospital busy getting strong and healthy. I would need to come for follow up appointments with the cardiologist for my heart defect and for general visits to the peadiatrician. The extent of my 'brain damage' from lack of oxygen at birth would only be known later on once I was a bit older and my brain was more developed.

I would love to hear from you so please leave your comments in the comments section for my blog below. Please also feel free if you have not already done so to have a look at my website. My Blog and Website are all about my struggles and Triumphs in life and my personal life story. This first blog post was just the very beginning of my journey into this world. I look forward to sharing my journey with you all and interacting with you. Please share my story as I believe we all have cominality in the fact that we all struggle in life and we can all help each other by sharig our stories.

I look forward to reading your feedback and continuing on this journey with you.