A five-year-old boy who has been a patient at the Royal Hospital for Children since birth left the building to spend his first-ever Christmas at home.
Suffering from an undiagnosed neurological condition, Oscar Edgar has spent the majority of his life under healthcare supervision.
His illness means he was ventilated until he was four-years-old. He is unable to eat or speak, but understands everything going on around him and has recently learned to walk.
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While Oscar's mum, Megan, is delighted to have her boy home for Christmas, she thought that the day would never come.
She said: “Everyone in that hospital loves Oscar and he loves all of them. From the doctors and nurses to the cleaners and catering staff – even the staff in the shops know Oscar because we’ve been there so long. It took us two hours to go round everyone and say goodbye.
“We honestly thought the day would never come. Oscar’s had the last rites on more than one occasion and the staff were there to support me every time. So now, to get him home a week before Christmas is like a dream come true.
“The thing I’m most excited about is being at home with him and my other son Theo, who is 21-months-old, on Christmas Eve and waking up here and opening our presents together. That will be so special.”
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Oscar’s journey has been a complex one and has involved clinical input from a number of different specialities.
Dr Phil Davies, Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Royal Hospital for Children, NHSGGC, said: “It has been a long and complex journey for Oscar and his family.
"Oscar has had a significant muscle weakness from just a few months of age and has needed a tracheostomy and a ventilator for most of his life to support his breathing.
"It has not only been a delight to see him make medical progress and be able to breathe by himself but also to see his cheeky personality develop. I wish Oscar and his family all the very best as they move into the next exciting phase of their lives.”
Megan, who had Oscar when she was 17, paid tribute to the nurses at the South Side hospital as they have become "like family" during Oscar's treatment.
She said: “I can’t put into words my gratitude to the Royal Hospital for Children and all the amazing staff. The nurses have been like family to us all – they didn’t just look after Oscar, they looked after me too.
“I was 17 when I had Oscar and I didn’t even know what a disabled person was. The hospital was my home too for eight months in 2017.
"I have grown with Oscar and I’m now able to operate all sorts of medical machinery. They made all that possible.
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“On the difficult days they were there to offer not just care, but cuddles and always made sure I had eaten and drank enough. They always had time to speak to me about how I was feeling."
“They have also made so many things possible. We were told we might never get Oscar home, but with their help we have had trips to the cinema, Disney on Ice and even Edinburgh and the nurses were with us every step.
Megan realises there is a long road ahead for her family, but right now is just looking forward to settling Oscar and home with her and his little brother.
“On the few nights we’ve had him home for visits, Theo’s been climbing out of his cot to snuggle in with Oscar in his bed. He really misses him when he goes back into hospital so it will be lovely to be here and be settled together", she said.
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