Connor McGoverne - Gastroschisis and NICU Life

Meet Connor McGoverne and hear about his amazing son, Finley. Connor is a political reporter and TV journalist who’s used to asking all the tough questions, but when he learns his unborn son has been diagnosed with a very rare condition, the story becomes very complex.

While Connor and his partner Jamie’s first baby arrived according to plan, Finley’s journey introduced the word “gastroschisis” into their lives, followed by weeks of agonising waiting between diagnosis and delivery and late-night Google searches that kept serving up worst-case scenarios. 

Gastroschisis impacts 3 in 10,000 births. A stark contrast to premature births in Australia, which is close to 1 in 10. 

Connor opens up about his NICU experience, sharing the moment Mum and bub were separated across two hospitals for emergency surgery, leaving him torn by a brutal dilemma: “Where do I go as the dad?”

Hear from Connor as he discusses the guilt of returning to work while his baby was in intensive care, the pressure of being present for a young child at home, and how he now uses his voice as an ambassador for Miracle Babies to support other families facing gastroschisis and complex NICU journeys.