West Lothian mum has to travel to England for life-changing surgery for toddler

Daily Record

2 days ago

Dakota Braithwaite was born with bladder exstrophy - a birth defect where the bladder is exposed outside the body through an opening in the lower abdominal wall. The condition occurs in 1 in 50,000 births.
A West Lothian mum who is travelling to Manchester so her two-year-old daughter can receive life-changing surgery says she will do 'whatever has to be done' to help her child.
Dakota Braithwaite was born with bladder exstrophy - a birth defect where the bladder is exposed outside the body through an opening in the lower abdominal wall. The condition occurs in 1 in 50,000 births.
The toddler is now set to undergo two surgeries in Manchester which involve placing a metal plate inside her pelvis. Dakota will also have to lay on her front for several weeks afterwards.
Despite doctors insisting the condition should not be causing Dakota pain, her mum Denni Shanks says she often complains of discomfort which 'isn't easy' to deal with and added how the surgery was initially meant to take place when she was aged 9-12 months.
The 26-year-old, from East Calder, was also unaware her daughter would have to undergo multiple operations and was only told this week when she phoned the team in Manchester ahead of what she thought was her only surgery date on June 26.
However, Denni is now having to travel down before June 16 and pay for her own fuel, accommodation and food until Dakota is fully admitted. Denni has started a fundraiser online which has since surpassed £1,000 as she prepares for her daughter's long stay in hospital.
Tragically, Dakota's dad and Denni's ex partner died suddenly last month, leaving her with little family to travel down and support both her and Dakota during their stay in Manchester. He was also helping fund any expenses during his daughter's admission.
Despite this, Denni is putting on a brave face and says her main priority is getting her daughter the help she needs.
'When Dakota was born I wasn't allowed to see her for hours and doctors couldn't even tell me if it was a boy or girl for several days while they conducted tests,' Denni said.
'Me and her dad had the fear the whole time I was pregnant. We paid for extra scans but nothing ever came up. Doctors came in and said she was breech and I needed an emergency C-section. When we got taken into surgery and she was delivered they knew something was wrong.
'For the first seven or eight hours I wasn't allowed to see her or pick her up. She was taken away and fed on sugar water.
'When she was born she wasn't strong enough to have surgery so it was meant to be done between 9-12 months which obviously hasn't been the case as there has been a lot of pressure on the NHS.
'She is in pain and she tells me she is sore but doctors have explained she isn't in pain. I said my daughter won't be squirming around and telling me she is sore if she's not - I know my daughter.
'Sometimes changing her nappy can be tricky and she'll avoid getting changed as she gets uncomfortable. In a way she knows she's different. She's very smart, maybe too smart.'
When Dakota was born she was transferred from St John's Hospital in Livingston to the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh where consultants continued to work on a definitive diagnosis.
After days Denni says she was given paperwork about the condition but 'none of it made sense.' Denni even blamed herself but was informed the condition is unrelated to the baby's parents.
'I wouldn't have been blessed with Dakota if the world didn't think I was capable,' Denni continued.
'She has to lay flat for weeks after the surgery which will be a real task but from what they've told me she will be medicated so hopefully she isn't going to be in pain and it all goes to plan.
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'I'm trying to tell everyone I'm fine and ready but in reality I'm not at all. I don't think anything can prepare you.
'The surgery should be a one-time thing but over time things may change. We just need to do it and see how we go. I've actually connected to other parents with the condition and those I have spoken to say it has gone well for their child and they haven't had to undergo further surgery.
'However Dakota has a gap of 7cm between her pelvis which is typically a little larger than most children with bladder exstrophy. One of the parents kindly sent me photos of her daughter after surgery so it prepared me and helped massively.'
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Following the sad passing of Dakota's dad last month, family members who were going to travel down to see her and Denni are grieving and likely won't make the trip to Manchester, meaning Denni will be on her own for the majority of Dakota's admission.
Denni is hopeful there will be a space for her to stay at Manchester House near the hospital, but if they are full she may not be guaranteed a spot straight away.
'As soon as she is there that is all that matters to me. Everything else is doesn't matter.'
You can donate to Denni's fundraiser here.