ThatsLife
  • WIN
  • News
  • Real Life
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Pets
  • Your Stars
  • Puzzles
  • Podcasts
  • Video
ThatsLife
  • WIN
  • News
  • Real Life
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Pets
  • Your Stars
  • Puzzles
  • Podcasts
  • Video
Subscribe
  1. Home
  2. Real Life

My baby was born inside out!

Hailey was shocked by her bub's 20-week scan - by that's life!
  • 13 Jun 2019

Here, Hailey Tompkins, 28, tells the story in her own words.

My baby was born inside out!
SWNS

Ordering a drink in my local pub, I spotted a group of people from work.

‘Are you here for the quiz?’ I asked.

‘Yep, you should join us!’ my colleague Jesse, 37, replied.

I’d known him for years, but we hadn’t spoken properly before, so my friend and I joined them.

‘I hope you know your stuff!’ Jesse joked.

Before long, we were chatting and flirting, and I found myself looking at him in a different way.

Over the next few days, 

we started texting and had our first date.

Soon, he was staying over at my house and I got to know his daughter, Kloe, 11.

I loved how good he was with her.

‘Should we have one?’ I grinned.

After just 
a couple of months of trying, we fell pregnant.

SWNS
SWNS

I started researching everything to do with babies, reading up on being a first-time mum and filling the cupboards with adorable babygrows.

One night, Jesse and I were eating dinner.

‘Before our baby is born, I want us to be a real family,’ he said.

‘What do you mean?’ I said.

‘Will you marry me?’ he asked nervously.

‘Of course, I will!’ I squealed.

We planned to get married as soon as possible, before the little one was born.

Our 20-week scan was coming up too, and I couldn’t wait to find out the gender.

As the appointment was a week before Jesse’s birthday, I wanted to tell him then as 
a surprise.

‘We’re about to find out the sex,’ the sonographer said.

‘Out you go,’ I winked at Jesse.

Once he’d left, she looked closely at the screen.

‘So, what are we having?’ I grinned with excitement.

‘The legs are crossed,’ she frowned. ‘I’ll need to check again later.’

Jesse came back into the room and she scanned again.

‘It’s a girl,’ she mouthed at me.

Supplied
SWNS

My head filled with thoughts of a daughter and I just wanted to take in everything about her, but when I looked, I noticed something I’d never seen before.

‘What’s that?’ I gasped, pointing to her stomach.

It looked like a huge sea urchin pouring from my little girl’s tummy.

‘I was hoping you wouldn’t see that,’ the sonographer admitted. ‘I’m not really supposed to say anything, but those are your baby’s intestines.’

Jesse burst into tears and 
I started to hyperventilate with the shock.

‘Don’t worry, her heart is fine and her brain looks great,’ she said.

‘You’ve given away the gender!’ I cried.

I didn’t really care but I was feeling overwhelmed.

‘What will we do?’ I cried on the journey home.

‘Everything is healthy, she’ll pull through,’ Jesse comforted me.

We immediately put our wedding plans on hold as our lives became a string of nervous hospital appointments.

The name of the condition our precious girl had is gastroschisis.

It meant her intestines were forming outside her body – she was inside out.

‘Can it be treated?’ I asked.

‘Usually, yes, but she has 
a rare form that means her body is too small, she will need a lot of operations,’ the doctor said.

I spent the rest of the pregnancy worrying and researching everything I could about the condition.

In April 2018, little Clarke arrived.

SWNS
SWNS

‘Is she alright?’ I cried as she was taken to intensive care.

Later that day, we were allowed to 
see her.

‘She’s been born with 90 per cent of her intestines and partial stomach outside,’ the nurse warned me.

Our tiny girl was attached to machines, but there was one thing I noticed above 
all else.

‘She’s beautiful!’ I breathed.

I hardly even saw the organs hanging from her body!

Clarke was kept in hospital as she had to have six surgeries.

Two of them resulted in a lot of complications and we almost lost her.

But our little fighter pulled through and with each operation, Clarke was successfully getting stitched back together.

After five months in hospital, we were transferred to a children’s hospital for her last surgery.

‘They have the best care unit for her condition,’ we were assured.

SWNS
SWNS

Just before she turned six months old, we were finally given some good news.

‘Clarke is doing great and we’re ready to discharge her,’ the doctor smiled.

‘She’s coming home!’ I cried.

As I showed her around, she giggled and gurgled.

‘This is where you live now,’ I cooed.

Her big sister, Kloe, was so happy and enjoyed lots of cuddles.

Going forward, Clarke 
will need monitoring and more operations, but she should be able to hit all the milestones like other kids her age.

She recently celebrated her first birthday and I call her my warrior.

She loves swimming and can get through two bowls of spaghetti in one sitting!

Clarke is the healthiest 
and happiest little girl and we are so lucky to have her in our lives.

Subscribe to That's Life!-+ save!

Subscribe to That's Life!

Subscribe Now
Subscribe to That's Life!

Subscribe to That's Life!-+ save!

Subscribe to That's Life!

Subscribe Now
Subscribe to That's Life!

Recommended to you

There's A Better, Faster Way To Predict Sepsis
Watch 0:37

There's A Better, Faster Way To Predict Sepsis

{headline}

{headline}

I turn people into art!

I turn people into art!

Holly the heart hero

Holly the heart hero

30-year heartbreak  - who killed Kerry Turner?

30-year heartbreak - who killed Kerry Turner?

My runny nose was cancer

My runny nose was cancer

{headline}

{headline}

I was paralysed at the beach

I was paralysed at the beach

Horror at the servo - I was abducted and raped

Horror at the servo - I was abducted and raped

My husband forgot I was his wife so we wed twice

My husband forgot I was his wife so we wed twice

{headline}

{headline}

Empty nesters... so we adopted SEVEN kids!

Empty nesters... so we adopted SEVEN kids!

Back from the brink!

Back from the brink!

A cockatoo proposed to me!

A cockatoo proposed to me!

Brave Ellie - 420 days in hospital for a new heart!

Brave Ellie - 420 days in hospital for a new heart!

I woke up with no hands and feet

I woke up with no hands and feet

How chalk found me love!

How chalk found me love!

Gone for 13 minutes – then my boy came back to life!

Gone for 13 minutes – then my boy came back to life!

ThatsLife
  • Gold Club
  • Online Entry FAQ
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Competitions
  • Privacy Policy
ThatsLife Magazine Subscribe
  • Gold Club
  • Online Entry FAQ
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Competitions
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • New Idea
  • Who
  • Girlfriend
  • Practical Parenting

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • marie claire
  • Beauty Crew
  • New Idea food
  • Women's Weekly Food
  • Bounty Parents
  • Home Beautiful
  • All Recipes
  • 7plus
  • 7News
  • Sunrise
  • Starts at 60
  • The West Australian
  • Perth Now
  • 7mate
  • 7Sport
  • Hard to Find
© 2022 Are Media PTY LTD
All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts.If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Get more from

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe to That's Life!-+ save!

Shop This Offer
Subscribe to That's Life!