Lively Ava a testament to medical staff

There have been many fraught moments in the short life of Ava McDonnell, made bearable, for the most part, by the excellence of staff at Temple Street Children’s Hospital.

Sinéad and George McDonnell had been married 12 years when Sinéad finally got pregnant with a much longed-for child — only for a 23-week scan to reveal their baby had hydrocephalus, or too much fluid around the brain.

“We were over the moon to find out I was pregnant, but it was shortlived,” says Sinéad. “Once we found out something was wrong, I didn’t enjoy the rest of the pregnancy. The paediatrician and neonatologist were waiting to take her away as soon as she was born.”