Everything Changed with Rosie Fawehimi

One in 80 Million: What Happens When Both Parents Carry the Same Rare Gene?


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When Nicola Whitbread-Hastings became a mother, she expected the “typical” experience. Instead, she was thrust into a world of medical terminology, 24/7 care, and a diagnosis so rare there are only a few hundred cases worldwide.


In this episode of Everything Changed, Nicola joins us to share the raw, unfiltered reality of raising her son, Rudy, who lives with MCAHS1, a genetic condition that causes epilepsy, visual impairment, and profound physical disability.


In this episode we discuss:


* The COVID diagnosis

Navigating the terrifying first weeks of lockdown while realising something was wrong.


* Finding out both she and her husband carried the same rare gene.


* The survival instinct

Why she had to emotionally detach from her second pregnancy to survive the weight of a potential second diagnosis.


* Milestones vs inchstones

The beautiful, small victories that mean everything.


This is a story about resilience, the fight of a special-needs parent, and how the arrival of her second son, Dexter, helped their family rediscover laughter in the chaos.



Resources mentioned in this episode:


Haven House Children’s Hospice: https://www.havenhouse.org.uk/

Follow Rudy’s journey on Instagram: @rudysw0rld



Timestamps


00:00 – Highlights: The moment everything changed

02:15 – The first signs and the COVID lockdown

08:50 – Getting the MCAHS1 diagnosis

16:10 – The heartbreaking reality of the second pregnancy

21:45 – The IVF journey and travelling to Barcelona

25:30 – Dexter: finding joy in “typical” motherhood

34:00 – Advice for parents facing a new diagnosis

...more
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Everything Changed with Rosie FawehimiBy Rosie Fawehimi