TV chef’s wife hopes for home after heart scare
An echocardiogram examination will be carried out to confirm how well she has recovered from her illness, which struck a few days after she gave birth to the couple’s first children, twins Connor and Lucia.
The twins were born in Sligo General Hospital on Feb 8 after Amelda was taken from her home near Blacklion, Co Cavan, an hour away, for a caesarean birth a week earlier than planned because of unexpected high blood pressure.
While the couple were still celebrating the births Amelda became ill in the hospital. She had developed cardiomyopathy — a condition where the heart becomes enlarged. The condition can lead to insufficient blood being pumped around the body, causing fluid to build up in the lungs and giving a feeling of breathlessness.
Neven said: “The hospital said it was heart failure. It is a hormonal thing. Amelda really couldn’t breathe; she was very sick.
“Thank God she was in the Sligo hospital. They reacted so quickly and Amelda is recovering quite will.”
Neven, 38, who is a twin himself, told of his fears.
“She was so weak last Monday she couldn’t even talk or breathe and I got really scared. They brought her up to coronary care and they started on the treatment.
“I have a friend in Enniskillen who is a heart specialist and he said they were doing everything absolutely right. Amelda has responded to the treatment brilliantly. Right now, everything is all positive.”
The twins were to have been born on Valentine’s Day, but that was changed because of Amelda’s high blood pressure.
Neven said: “They really can’t explain why it all happened. It is something hormonal. There was no problem during the pregnancy and the twins were delivered via caesarean.
“The only sign that anything might have been amiss was a week earlier when the blood pressure was high and her doctor ordered her into hospital and the twins were delivered then.
“It was a really good call to bring her in a week early. The staff at Sligo General have been brilliant. Amelda is so lucky she was there.
“Amelda is a warrior. She is putting up a battle,” he added.
The couple expect to be given doctors’ permission to leave the hospital in the next day or two after today’s echocardiogram.
Neven added: “I just can’t tell you how worried I was. It was very upsetting. I haven’t been able yet to open all the hundreds of goodwill cards and messages we received after the birth of the twins.”
After their birth, the twins were separated for about a week because Lucia, born at just under 6lbs — a pound lighter than her brother — was put into a special care unit.
Neven said: “They were about four weeks premature and Lucia didn’t really take to the bottle.
“That’s why she was put into special care; to build herself up and get used to the bottle.
“Now, I am so looking forward to having the entire family home this week,” the chef said.
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