Life of a Prem Baby Blog

About 24weekers…

In December 2004, Karen & Alan Entwistle went for a 3D scan of their unborn baby boy… Jack Peter, as they had called him, was perfect…  the scan showed he was perfect… Karen felt good…

In the New Year of 2005, Karen was experiencing discomfort and sat up awake one night watching the baby channel – a program about babies being born prematurely due to the blood condition Group B Strep.  What she had seen played on her mind, and so when she next passed water, she did so in a clear glass…  The fluid was cloudy and she knew it just was not right.  This was the start of what would be the most dramatic roller-coaster of a year.

Alan took Karen to their local hospital.  She was told her ‘plug’ had come away and she was in premature labour.  They tried to slow things down but were unsuccessful and eventually Karen and Alan were told that Jack would be born within 24 hours… at just 24weeks gestation… And this was due to Group B Strep.

On January 3^rd, 2005, at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester, Jack Peter Entwistle was born.  He weighed just 1lb 6oz and was the size of his Daddy’s hand.

Karen and Alan had to fight every step of the way for Jack’s survival and for the survival of their own sanity.  Their experience is so aptly described as a ‘roller-coaster’, because as soon as it seemed Jack was making good progress, a problem would occur that would see his health deteriorate rapidly…

Thankfully, Jack was one of the lucky micro-preemies… he survived and is now a healthy and happy seven-year-old.  He is not without his problems – he only has 25% vision and has recently been diagnosed as autistic – but he’s an intelligent, fun-loving little boy.

In the months that followed Jack’s discharge from hospital, Alan started to develop the idea of writing a movie script based on their experience.  Within the next few years, Alan worked on the script and in August 2011 filmed the promotional trailer to share with the world and assist with raising the finance to make the movie, 24weekers.

One of the main aims of the movie is to raise awareness of the NICU experience and that babies born this early can and do survive.

The script has received some fantastic feedback from those who have read it so far, and as a result, we now have some great names attached to the project…

Full Monty and Coronation Street star Steve Huison is to play the quirky consultant ‘Eastman’; Star of stage and tv, Kate Coogan will be our leading lady ‘Karen’; Billy Elliot star Stuart Wells has the role of the handsome doctor ‘Enrique’; and Hollyoaks and Grange Hill regular Amber Hodgkiss is to play preemie mum ‘Alison’.

How you can give back

In order to fund the making of the 24weekers, the team behind it, which Alan & Karen spearhead, have created a ‘crowd-funding’ campaign on the successful US-based Kickstarter website, which launched UK projects on 31^st October 2012.  The 24weekers project was launched by the team at 10.00 am on 31^st October and will run for just 42 days with a target budget of £94,000.  This figure has been specifically calculated to be the minimum required to cover the full production of the movie, and if the full target budget is not raised, 24weekers will not receive a penny…

Anyone in the world can pledge any amount they would like (Min £1) towards the funding of the film and in return can select from a variety of rewards, ranging from a simple social media ‘shout out’, a copy of the new ebook ‘24weekers: The Story’, through to a non-speaking role in the film and dinner with the director and some of the cast!  There is even an opportunity for preemies to appear in the film itself.

Please take a look at the 24weekers Kickstarter project at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/24wmedia/24weekers-a-new-feature-film-by-alan-entwistle

Here, you can view the trailer, read the pitch, take a look at the rewards and much more… including Pledging!

How do I Pledge?

1. Click on the Kickstarter project link above
2. Watch the trailer
3. Read the pitch
4. Click the green ‘Back This Project’ button
5. Type in the amount you would like to donate – this can be absolutely anything you choose from £1 upwards.
6. Select the appropriate reward
7. Enter your card details
8. Confirm!
9. That’s it! You’ve just pledged! Thank you 🙂

Your card will be authorised but the funds will not be taken until 12th December 2012, provided that the project is successful

Yes I hear you cry I am back! Well for a while anyway, as as this post suggests this post is all about me feeling rather old and Jenson seeming to grow up so fast now.

Jenson is now 2 years and 3 months old, amazing really when you think back on my posts in 2010 describing my experiences of neonatal and the birth of Jenson, I cant quite believe that we are already 2 years down the line and at how much my little boy has changed.

So Jenson this month has started two mornings a week at Preschool! I cant quite believe it myself. Myself and my husband had come to the conclusion that Jenson was now at a point where personally we couldnt do anything more learning wise while Jenson was at home, and felt that going to preschool would hlep firstly his development and his social skills.

I must admit its taken me some time to accept the fact that do to this would mean someone else looking after Jenson other than family, something Ive always been a bit sceptical about, he’s my baby how can I trust someone else that I dont know to look after my precious little boy??

I also knew in the back of mind Jenson needed to go to Pre-School, yes the doctors tell you that a Prem baby will have caught up with others kids the same age as him by the time he is 2, but I guess I still dont quite believe that, and Im hoping that Pre-School will help to identify any problems that Jenson may have because of being born premature, if he has any at all. Having said all this, the first session I dropped Jenson off at this week, I came away very emotional and teary, where else Jenson was absolutely fine, his standard departure to me of “Bye, Bye, Lots (shortened version of love you lots), morning (shortened version of see you in the morning), was all he said to me and then he was off playing with all the brand new toys. Safe to say he indeed likes Pre-School.

For all of those of you wondering, Jenson is still very tall for his age, he was measured at his 2 year review, and even though he was quite on the 98th centile this time, he is well above average, as for his feet, he measures a size 7 in childrens shoes at the moment!

Jensons speech has really come on over the last few months too, where as before it would take Jenson a couple of attempts hearing the same word, now you can say it once and he will repeat it, perhaps not a good thing if you accidently stub your toe and curse out loud and Jenson is within hearing range!

Jensons hand/eye co-ordination seems to be really good too, he can play with his blocks and build towers and then he can pick up the smallest bits and place them in some sort of hole, for example he is very good and picking up bits of lint or crumbs that have fallen on the floor or have missed with the hoover!

We are still to potty train Jenson, to be honest he isnt really asking to go, or telling us before he does anything, I think we will let him decide when he wants to do it, on a plus note last week he did have his nappy off for 30 mins, wee’d on the floor, I quickly said to him “quick quick on the potty!” and bless him he ran, sat on his potty and actually done a wee!! So maybe he is getting close to being ready…

Right sounds as if my little man is waking up from his nap (now down to one nap a day, duration of about an hour!), so i will leave you with a more up to date photograph of my darling boy and me :0)

Yes I hear you cry I am back! Well for a while anyway, as as this post suggests this post is all about me feeling rather old and Jenson seeming to grow up so fast now.

Jenson is now 2 years and 3 months old, amazing really when you think back on my posts in 2010 describing my experiences of neonatal and the birth of Jenson, I cant quite believe that we are already 2 years down the line and at how much my little boy has changed.

So Jenson this month has started two mornings a week at Preschool! I cant quite believe it myself. Myself and my husband had come to the conclusion that Jenson was now at a point where personally we couldnt do anything more learning wise while Jenson was at home, and felt that going to preschool would hlep firstly his development and his social skills.

I must admit its taken me some time to accept the fact that do to this would mean someone else looking after Jenson other than family, something Ive always been a bit sceptical about, he’s my baby how can I trust someone else that I dont know to look after my precious little boy??

I also knew in the back of mind Jenson needed to go to Pre-School, yes the doctors tell you that a Prem baby will have caught up with others kids the same age as him by the time he is 2, but I guess I still dont quite believe that, and Im hoping that Pre-School will help to identify any problems that Jenson may have because of being born premature, if he has any at all. Having said all this, the first session I dropped Jenson off at this week, I came away very emotional and teary, where else Jenson was absolutely fine, his standard departure to me of “Bye, Bye, Lots (shortened version of love you lots), morning (shortened version of see you in the morning), was all he said to me and then he was off playing with all the brand new toys. Safe to say he indeed likes Pre-School.

For all of those of you wondering, Jenson is still very tall for his age, he was measured at his 2 year review, and even though he was quite on the 98th centile this time, he is well above average, as for his feet, he measures a size 7 in childrens shoes at the moment!

Jensons speech has really come on over the last few months too, where as before it would take Jenson a couple of attempts hearing the same word, now you can say it once and he will repeat it, perhaps not a good thing if you accidently stub your toe and curse out loud and Jenson is within hearing range!

Jensons hand/eye co-ordination seems to be really good too, he can play with his blocks and build towers and then he can pick up the smallest bits and place them in some sort of hole, for example he is very good and picking up bits of lint or crumbs that have fallen on the floor or have missed with the hoover!

We are still to potty train Jenson, to be honest he isnt really asking to go, or telling us before he does anything, I think we will let him decide when he wants to do it, on a plus note last week he did have his nappy off for 30 mins, wee’d on the floor, I quickly said to him “quick quick on the potty!” and bless him he ran, sat on his potty and actually done a wee!! So maybe he is getting close to being ready…

Right sounds as if my little man is waking up from his nap (now down to one nap a day, duration of about an hour!), so i will leave you with a more up to date photograph of my darling boy and me :0)