Gemma Patterson, 40, from Loughborough
Watching the clock tick by in the hospital waiting room, I tried to breathe out my nerves.
Holding my son Joey, then one, on my lap, I couldn’t help but feel anxious.
This was a make-or-break appointment. We would find out if Joey qualified for the surgery that would turn his little life around.
Joey had always been a really happy and bubbly baby, with the biggest smile.
Only, when Joey reached six months old, things changed.
Weaning him didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped it would.
He would gag as I fed him different kinds of baby food.
At first, I thought maybe he didn’t like particular foods, but it soon became clear he couldn’t eat anything properly.
Even when trying to bottle feed he would splutter.