'My daughter died at two years old - it led me to find my calling'

Nikki Hewitt, a mum of four from Cannock, says the devastating loss of Bethany led to her starting a career in intensive healthcare to help other children.

The 37-year-old is the first paediatric cardiology clinical nurse specialist (CNS) at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT). She trained at New Cross Hospital, where she is now based.

Nikki, mum to Katelyn, 18, step-daughter Poppy, 11, Renesmee, nine, and Luna, three, said she applied for the job a month after losing her baby.

"When I lost my daughter I felt like I had nothing," she said.

Bethany was born with gastroschisis, where the intestines stick out through a hole in the belly wall – a one in 5,000 birth defect.

After having to be transferred to BCH, Bethany lost most of her bowel and suffered liver failure before needing a liver and bowel transplant.

The family lived in the Intensive Care Unit at BCH for eight months as Bethany suffered more problems, needing a tracheostomy.

The toddler then contracted sepsis and tragically died at two years and three months in September 2009, having spent just four weeks of her life at home.

"Nursing wasn’t something I’d thought of, but I applied for the course a month after," Nikki said.

"I was accepted and everywhere I went on placement, I loved it. But I always felt more drawn towards sicker children. That’s why I went to work in intensive care at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, for 11 years. ITU felt like home.

"We used to do all the chest closures - where the breastbone is closed after heart surgery - and watching a baby’s heart beating, I found it incredible."

Nikki's expertise took her to Jamaica, where she supported nurses with post-operative patients by charity Chain of Hope, which supports families of those needing heart surgery.

She has now found her calling in Wolverhampton.

She said: "I thought 'what an amazing opportunity – a place I can really make a difference doing cardiology, something I truly love, and supporting a better work/life balance.

"There are a lot of families with chronic congenital heart conditions which are life-shortening and they need support. Until now, Wolverhampton didn't have that. There are other things to be put into place, such as supporting teenagers with transitioning from children’s services to adult services.

"Also supporting families through the ‘flow’ – whether antenatally I can be there straight away, rather than the families having to go to BCH and returning here."

Nikki says her loss helps her in her job now.

"I thought it would help me with the parents but it actually helps with the staff, to explain to them that they don’t know what it’s like to live with these conditions, because it affects every bit of your life," she said.

"When a parent is irate, they might not have slept or ate properly for days or worked and money's tight. Hopefully I can provide that understanding between the medics and the parents.

"I would never be doing this if it wasn’t for Bethany."