AFTER 320 days, more than 20 operations and life-saving procedures and a terrifying moment when he stopped breathing in his father’s arms, a little Helensburgh boy is finally leaving hospital. Beautiful River Stephen Camile Mbunzama will spend his first birthday at home, in a milestone his mum and dad worried they may never see. River was born in the Royal Alexandria Hospital on August 26, 2023 and while initially everything seemed fine, he began experiencing problems with breathing and feeding in the early hours of the next day.
(Image: NHSGGC) He was transferred to the Royal Hospital for Children on Glasgow’s Southside, where doctors discovered he had an atrial septal defect in his heart and two small heart holes – although neither of those were the reason for his long hospital stay. River has tracheobronchomalacia (TBM), a rare condition where the windpipe tissue is unusually soft and weak. He has a laryngeal cleft, adding to the complexity of his situation.
READ NEXT: £300k boost for Glasgow research into low uptake of cervical cancer screening tests The little boy spent 11 months in RCH, including multiple months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). River’s mum and dad, Roseann and Rudy, are sharing their son’s story as a tribute both to his fighting spirit, and to the dedicated hospital teams who cared for him, including gastroenterology, surgical, respiratory and cardiology. (Image: NHSGGC) There were times, a.