Like any would-be parent, Calista Pinchen of Mannering Park wanted a healthy baby, which is why she decided not to have one.
Pinchen never thought motherhood would be an option because of a genetic heart condition passed on unknowingly by her father, which involved receiving a pacemaker at the age of 19, a heart transplant at 21, and kidney disease as a result of her condition.
It wasn’t just because the risk a pregnancy would put on her own body but because there would be a 50 per cent chance of passing her heart condition on to her child.
However, a referral to The Royal Hospital for Women at Randwick turned parenthood from a dream into a reality for Pinchen and her partner, Pete Auditore.
As the only public health provider of pre-genetic screening in NSW, The Royal was able to ensure Pinchen would not pass on her heart condition, while closely monitoring her entire pregnancy to ensure the challenges of a heart condition and kidney disease did not put baby or mum at risk.
Private genetic screening costs between $10,000 and $15,000 per cycle but wouldn’t have been available to Pinchen because it is conducted in day hospitals, which don’t offer the level of care required by patients with serious health conditions.
The Mannering Park couple welcomed a baby boy, Dustyn, delivered by Dr Jana Pittman, in October.
He arrived at 33 weeks gestation after Pinchen developed a condition that compromised her liver function.
Being seven weeks premature, Dustyn spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit at The Royal, but has now settled in at home with mum and dad.
“We are absolutely ecstatic, we never thought it would happen,” Pinchen said.
She said she was sharing her story to help promote The Royal Hospital for Women Foundation’s fundraising appeal, Delivering Hope.
“I also want to give hope to other transplant recipients and let them know it can happen,” she said.
Dr Rachel Rodgers who runs The Royal’s pre-genetic screening clinic said she championed the service, which launched in 2021, to reduce the need for women to go through second trimester terminations because private screening was unaffordable.
Obstetric Physician Dr Sandra Lowe said The Royal took great pride in achieving outcomes like this for their patients.
“The desire to be a mother can be extremely powerful and we want to be able to make that happen for people,” she said.
“Whatever the challenge, we start from the point of view that we will do anything possible to make a safe pregnancy a reality for a woman and her family.”
All donations to the Delivering Hope appeal will be doubled on November 22 thanks to generous matched donors.
To donate to the appeal visit https://www.royalwomen.org.au/giving-day-2023