A mother-of-seven who saved her baby boy’s life by repeatedly performing CPR has been named Mum of the Year at the Boots Maternity & Infant Awards yesterday. Jacqui O’Shaughnessy, from Termonfeckin, Co. Louth gave birth to her premature son on October 14 2014 at just 34 weeks. Baby Alex who is now 1 year old had to spend 21 days in hospital.
“My friend Lucy Campbell nominated me and when Boots contacted me to tell me I honestly thought it was a joke,” she told Independent.ie. When he was brought home he was still unwell and had to return to hospital. “I just wasn’t happy with how he looked so I brought him back to hospital and he was kept in for 3 days,” she said.
A few days later Jacqui was on the school run when the baby’s apnoea monitor signaled that he was not breathing. Jacqui made her way home and phoned a nurse at Our Lady’s Hospital and gave her son CPR.
“He would respond to the CPR and begin breathing but then he would stop again. It was so distressing,” she said. The weather was so bad that Jacqui had to ask her neighbour who drives a Jeep to bring her and Alex to the hospital.
Jacqui has six other children Abigail (10), twins Ronan & Emma (7), twins Aaron & Ryan (6) and Sophie (3). Alex was transferred to Temple Street Hospital in Dublin where he remained for two weeks before coming home to his delighted family. He has since made an excellent recovery.