Chat – 01 August 2019

JackandCam

• best buddies

Cam’sduefor

hissecondop

in October

Continuedfrompreviouspage

DELIVERY-SUITE SHOCK

L

eadingupto hisfirst

surgery,Camhad

to weara special

mouthpiece.

Then,inJuly2018,

I huggedJackcloseto

measCam,then3 months,

waswheeledintotheatre.

‘Mummywillberighthere,’

I whisperedto him.

MattandI satnervously

withJackinthehospital

waitingroom,assurgeons

rebuiltCam’slip.

Finally,threehourslater,

hissurgeonsemerged.

‘Theoperationhasgone

verywell,’onetoldus.

‘CanI seehim?’I asked.

Now,morethanever,my

littleboyneededhismum.

Camwasintherecovery

roomand,aswewalkedin,

myheartthumped.

Helookedsovulnerableand

smallinthehospitalcot.

Hisfacewasswollen

andcoveredinblood.

Tenstitchessnaked

underhisnose.

‘Hedoesn’t

looklikeCam,’

I sobbedto Matt.

We’dfallenin

lovewithCamthe

wayhewas,and

I worriedwhat

he’dlooklike.

‘Givehim

time,’Mattsaid.

Camwasin

hospitalovernight.

It washard– Jackmissed

him,didn’tunderstandwhere

histwinbrotherhadgone.And

Camwasina lotof pain,too.

I hatedit,feltsohelpless.

But, as the days went on, the

30

swellinggraduallywentdown.

Cam’slittlebabyfacestarted

to emerge,withjustsome

slightscarringonhistoplip.

A weekafterhissurgery,we

put both theboysona blanket

onthefloor.

We’djustbought

themmatching

whitesleepsuits

withI loveMum

andDadwritten

onthem.

‘Saycheese!’

grinnedMatt,

gettingout

hiscamera.

Without

hesitation,Jack

flashedushisusualcheekygrin.

Camkickedhisarmsand

legsexcitedly,andhiseyes

startedto crease.

‘He’sgoingto smile!’I cried.

And, sure enough, Cam’s

eyessuddenlylitup.

Andthenhismouthcurved

upwardsintothewidestsmile

I’deverseen.

Myboywassmiling!

‘Areyouhappy,Cam?’I wept,

overcomewithemotion.

Camgrinnedand

gurgledalongside

hisbrother,while

Mattwipedtears

fromhiseyes

andtookphotos.

It wasan

incrediblemoment.

Theybothlooked

sohandsome

together,side

byside.

Jackwith

hisbrown

hairand

browneyes,

Camall

soft, blond

hairandblueeyes.

Evennow,wheneverCam

smiles,it’ssospecial.

I’llalwayscry,callMatt

infromtheotherroom.

Now 15 monthsold,they’re

bothtypicalboys.Obsessed

withcarsandtrains.

Theyplaytogether

constantly,sometimesthey

evenhavea squabbleover

a favouritetoy.

Camis morelaidbackthan

Jackthough,andhappyto play

forhoursonhisown.

ButhefollowsJack

everywhereandI’lloftencatch

themhavinga littlehug,or

kissingeachotheronthecheek.

Socute!

Camis dueforhissecond

opto repairtheroofof

hismouthinOctober.

Thefinalprocedure,

whenhe’s5 or6, will

beto rebuildhisgum.

But,untilthen,

Cam’scleftpalate

is barelynoticeable.

Despitesome

problemschewing

hisfood,it doesn’t

causehimmuch

troubleeither.

He’sa

verytough

littleboy.

Andnow,

a real smiler!

What a

winning

Cam’scleft

palateis

barely

noticeable

now

Ourbrave,

smiley little

Cam!

WORDS: FRANCES LEATE, LUCY BRYANT. PHOTOS: MATT MARTIN/SWNS