Living the fab life

**Day 31 💙 | This Isn’t Goodbye...**

As Group B Strep Awareness Month comes to an end, I just want to say **thank you**.

Thank you to every single person who has watched a video, shared a post, left a comment, sent a message or simply listened.

Over the past month, I’ve connected with families from all over the world.

I’ve spoken to parents who have never heard of Group B Strep.

I’ve spoken to parents who have sadly lost their precious babies.

I’ve spoken to families whose children are living with lifelong challenges following Group B Strep infection.

Every message has reminded me why awareness matters.

This month has shown me that Séamus’ story isn’t just our story anymore.

It has become part of a much bigger conversation.

A conversation about awareness.

About informed choices.

About asking questions.

About supporting families.

And about remembering every baby whose life has been touched by Group B Strep.

Although Group B Strep Awareness Month has ended, **Séamus’ story is far from over.**

There is still so much left to share.

His journey.

Our family’s journey.

The milestones.

The setbacks.

The hope.

I’ll continue sharing our story every few days because awareness doesn’t end on the 31st of July.

If Séamus’ story encourages one conversation, helps one family feel more informed, or gives one parent the confidence to ask a question they might never have asked...

Then every video has been worth it.

From the bottom of my heart...

Thank you for walking beside us.

This is not the end.

It’s only the beginning.

💙 **Strength Through Séamus. Hope Through Awareness.**

**Day 30 💙 | Late-Onset Group B Strep – Know the Signs**
**late-onset Group B Strep**, which can affect babies between **7 and 90 days of age**.

Knowing the signs doesn’t mean living in fear.

It means feeling informed and knowing when to seek medical advice if your baby becomes unwell.

If you have a young baby, are expecting a baby, or know someone who is, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch this video.

Please save it, share it, and help spread awareness.

Because no parent should ever have to say...

**”I didn’t know.”** 💙

**Day 29 💙 | Early-Onset Group B Strep – Know the Signs**

Today’s video is one every expectant parent and every family with a newborn should watch.

I’m talking about the signs of **early-onset Group B Strep**, which occurs in the first six days of a baby’s life.

These signs aren’t unique to Group B Strep, but they can indicate that a newborn needs urgent medical assessment.

This video isn’t here to create fear.

It’s here to raise awareness and help parents recognise when something doesn’t seem right.

Please watch, save and share with anyone who is pregnant or has recently had a baby.

Awareness can start with
One conversation

**Day 28 💙 | What Is Group B Strep?**

Before Séamus, I’d never heard of Group B Strep.

I didn’t know how common it was.

I didn’t know that many women carry it without ever knowing.

And I didn’t know that, in some babies, it can cause life-threatening infections.

That’s why I’m making these videos.

Not to cause fear.

Not to tell people what decisions they should make.

But to raise awareness and help more families understand what Group B Strep is, so they can have informed conversations with their maternity team.

There are parts of our own journey that I can’t talk about yet while an ongoing Serious Incident investigation is taking place.

But what I can do is share information that I wish I’d known before Séamus was born.

If this video teaches you something new, please consider sharing it.

You never know who might be pregnant, planning a family, or simply need this information today.

Because awareness starts with one conversation.

And no parent should ever have to say...

**”I didn’t know.”** 💙

**”Why wasn’t I tested?”**

It’s the question I’ve been asked more than any other.

The truth is, before Séamus, I’d never even heard of Group B Strep.

I didn’t know around **1 in 5 pregnant women** carry it.

I didn’t know it can be passed from mother to baby.

And I didn’t know the questions to ask.

This video isn’t about blame.

It’s about awareness.

Because no parent should ever have to say...

**”I didn’t know.”**

Please watch, share and help us start conversations that could make a difference. 💙

**Day 26 | The End of One Fight... The Beginning of Another 💙**

At the end of March 2025, exactly one month after Séamus was born, his treatment for Group B Strep meningitis and sepsis finally ended.

He had spent over 18 days in hospital during his first month of life, with 10 of those days spent fighting for his life in intensive care.

The antibiotics had worked.

His infection markers were clear.

But that wasn’t the end of our journey.

It was the beginning of a very different one.

Epilepsy.

Therapies.

Hospital appointments.

Psychology.

And learning how to live with the uncertainty of what the future might hold.

This is our family’s experience. Every family’s journey is unique, and I’m sharing ours to raise awareness of Group B Strep and the lasting impact serious illness can have.

If you’re pregnant, or know someone who is, please take a few minutes to learn about Group B Strep and have informed conversations with your maternity team.

Thank you for continuing to walk this journey with us.

**Strength Through Séamus. Hope Through Awareness.** 💙

💙 Follow Séamus’ journey as we continue sharing the next chapter of our story.

**Day 25 | Home... But Not Really 💙**

When people hear the words “he came home,” they often imagine the hardest part is over.

For us, it wasn’t.

Because of a virus on the children’s ward, Séamus was discharged to continue his treatment at home.

But home didn’t mean life returned to normal.

He still needed intravenous antibiotics every six hours, with community nurses visiting three times a day to care for his PICC line and continue his treatment.

Our home became an extension of the hospital.

Recovery wasn’t instant.

It happened one day, one antibiotic and one small step at a time.

This is our family’s experience, shared to raise awareness of Group B Strep and its lasting impact. Every family’s journey is different.

If you’re pregnant, or know someone who is, please take a few minutes to learn about Group B Strep and have informed conversations with your maternity team.

**Strength Through Séamus. Hope Through Awareness.** 💙

💙 Follow Séamus’ journey as we continue sharing the final chapters of our story.

# # # **Day 24 | Recovery Wasn’t Gentle 💙**

Leaving intensive care didn’t mean the fight was over.

Séamus still needed weeks of intravenous antibiotics, and every day brought new challenges.

Blocked PICC lines.

Cannulas in his tiny hands, arms, feet and elbow.

Eventually, there was nowhere left except his little head.

Watching your child go through that is something no parent ever forgets.

Recovery isn’t always dramatic.

Sometimes it’s another needle.

Another infusion.

Another sleepless night in a hospital chair.

Another sunrise you’re simply grateful to see.

This is our family’s experience, shared to raise awareness of Group B Strep and the lasting impact it can have. Every family’s journey is different.

If you’re pregnant, or know someone who is, please take a few minutes to learn about Group B Strep and have informed conversations with your maternity team.

**Strength Through Séamus. Hope Through Awareness.** 💙

💙 Follow Séamus’ journey as we continue sharing the final chapters of our story.

# # # **Day 23 | Leaving Intensive Care 💙**

After ten long days in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children PICU, we were finally told Séamus was well enough to leave intensive care.

It was a moment we’d prayed for.

But walking out wasn’t the relief I imagined it would be.

As we packed our things, I couldn’t stop thinking about the other babies and families we were leaving behind. Parents sitting beside cots, praying for miracles, just as we had been.

I felt relieved that Séamus was improving, but I also carried guilt because our journey was moving forward while so many others were still fighting their own battles.

Those families have never left my thoughts.

This is our family’s experience, shared to raise awareness of Group B Strep and the lasting impact it can have. Every family’s journey is different.

If you’re pregnant, or know someone who is, please take a few minutes to learn about Group B Strep and have informed conversations with your maternity team.

**Strength Through Séamus. Hope Through Awareness.** 💙

💙 Follow Séamus’ journey as we continue sharing the final chapters of our story.