When Your Child Has No Immune System

18-month-old Riley has a rare genetic disease called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency. It has left her with no immune system and no way to fight off even the most common of illnesses.

- Christel Geralyn Gomes

Melissa LeBlanc had a blissful pregnancy. For her, it was a dream from the moment she learnt that she was expecting. “I loved being pregnant and experiencing all the movements of my unborn child inside my womb. Every single kick and hiccup, I loved it all and we were so excited to become parents and meet our baby. Overall, everything was smooth sailing,” she says.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls!

When it came to Riley’s delivery though, things were a little less smooth. Melissa had planned on an all-natural birthing experience, but it ended up being quite the opposite when Riley didn’t want to come out!

“We were three days past her due date when my doctor sent me for monitoring. A couple hours later, the doctor didn't love what he was seeing with Riley's heart rate and recommended delivery. In the hospital, a few different methods to induce labour naturally were attempted with not much luck. Eventually, they decided to break my water in the hope that things would start moving faster. They started Pitocin, I received an epidural, and half a day later, still no luck. Riley's delivery ultimately ended in a c-section.”

The Routine Screening

Riley, like any other baby, had the routine screening tests done at birth.

“She was just nine days old when I got a missed call from her paediatrician, she left a voicemail saying there was something she needed to discuss. I remember just having this sinking feeling in my gut. It was a Tuesday, we had her two-week appointment scheduled for that Friday. I remember thinking how odd it was that the paediatrician herself called me, not the receptionist – this wasn't a call to confirm Friday's appointment. This was something else.”