When Moama’s Tom Batten was born in 2020 with a rare congenital condition, it would have been difficult to picture the fun-loving five year-old he is today.
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Tom’s mum, Bec, had a complicated pregnancy, having a different blood type to her husband, Ricki.
Before receiving an Anti-D injection — which helps protect unborn babies with different blood types to their mothers — Bec had a placental bleed and developed antibodies that started attacking Tom’s red blood cells.
Bec had an emergency caesarian at 37 weeks on January 3, 2020, what she calls a miracle after being told at 22 weeks she could give birth within weeks.
Tom was born with an imperforate anus, a congenital abnormality affecting one in 5000 babies and occurring at the beginning of pregnancy.
He also had a retro perineum fistula, allowing him to pass fecal matter.
To the shock of Bec and Ricki, these conditions were not detected during ultrasounds.
Tom was placed in an incubator for one week to treat jaundice, and had his first surgery at just three weeks old at Bendigo Hospital.
Shortly after the surgery, the wound broke down, taking Tom and his family to the Royal Children’s Hospital, where he underwent a Laparoscopically Assisted Anorectal Pull-Through and was given a stoma and colostomy bag.
“I was scared enough as it is,” Bec said.
“But handing over my sleeping baby twice in two days, it was pretty rough.”
Stoma nurse Carmen was a great help to Bec, training her on how to empty, replace, change the size and appearance of the stoma.
Bec was unable to stay with Tom during his stay in the platypus ward, but was in a hospital hotel room and had a 24/7 access pass.
The Battens’ time at the RCH coincided with Bec’s father in end-stage prostate cancer, as well as the beginning of COVID-19, limiting visitors and travel.
Taking advice from a friend who lost their baby at the RCH, Bec befriended fellow parents.
This support was invaluable to her, finding understanding and comfort in families in similar situations.
“It can be so isolating,” Bec said.
“Getting chatting gives them reprieve and gives you reprieve.
“You’re relieved you can talk to someone.”
Tom returned to hospital for ‘reversal’ surgery at six months old.
It was an emotional time for Bec, who had recently lost her dad and was on her own with Tom in the possum ward as Ricki worked and cared for their daughter, Charlotte, back home.
The support she received at RCH blew her away, not only from staff but from her parent friends.
“I was breaking down and one other mum heard me crying,” Bec said.
“She knocked on the window... she gave me a hug, and we ended up chatting for ages.”
Now, Tom enjoys everything boys typically do and he's set to begin primary school next year.
Bec is amazed by her son and his love of camping, heading out on the boat, his bucking bull and footy.
“He is a totally normal five-year-old boy,” she said.
“He’s very happy and loves his sister to death.”
She is, however, concerned about the future, particularly in the differences Tom has compared to his peers.
“The trouble is that it is a lifelong condition,” she said.
“I’m worried about school, that he’ll be teased and taunted.”
For the management of his condition, Tom is under Dr Sebastian King’s guidance at the RCH.
In 2022, Tom’s tonsils and adenoids were removed, with the family staying for two weeks at Ronald McDonald House.
Together, the RCH colorectal department and the Battens are preparing for the next steps of Tom’s life as he navigates schooling.
There is a risk of losing the department, with the federal funding provided to the team ending.
Bec has reached out to politicians to ask for the funding to be reinstated, and feels encouraged by a Coalition election pledge around this.
She hopes that Labor will follow suit.
The Battens are connected with families in similar situations across the world through Facebook, and are good friends with locals Tahlia and Leigh West, whose son Levi has the same condition.
She is a strong supporter of the Good Friday Appeal in Echuca-Moama, and will be volunteering to count donations at Echuca Workers on the day, as she does every year.
Echuca Fire Brigade will also be out and about on Good Friday, collecting money for the Appeal on the town’s streets.
Volunteers will leave the station from 8.45am, first heading west on High St before covering the east, and the traffic lights at KFC and Butcher St will also be manned.
Residents are encouraged to get their change ready when CFA vehicles approach, and are reminded to give donations to official CFA volunteers, who will be in uniform or a high-vis vest.
Cadet Journalist