A Tiny Miracle - By Liz...

Myself and my partner found out I was pregnant with our first baby and he or she was due in June. We couldn't have been happier. My pregnancy was a breeze, no sickness, no heartburn and no aches and pains. The first trimester flew by and at our 12 week scan baby was perfect. Everything was going perfectly and at our 20 week scan we found out we were having a girl!

On Sunday the 16th February I was 23 weeks pregnant and my waters broke. I called the maternity unit and was told I had to go straight to Heartlands Hospital as they were equipped to deal with premature babies of that gestation. A scan revealed all of my waters had gone and so I was given steroid injections to try and strengthen baby's lungs. I was shown around the neonatal unit. I remained in hospital being closely monitored, trying to keep baby in as long as possible, as every day she stayed in gave her a slightly better chance.

I had daily blood tests and babies movements were closely monitored. In the early hours of the Friday morning, intense labour pains began. The consultant was called immediately and he discovered that I was fully dilated and baby was breech. He told me not to push and within minutes I was being rushed to deliver. I rang my partner in a panic and as I arrived on delivery, I was met by a room full of consultants, nurses and equipment set up in the corner of the room. My partner came running in to delivery and 2 minutes later our daughter was born.

The cord was cut by the doctors and she was whipped away. No cry, no nothing, she wasn't breathing. They worked on her for what seemed like forever but was less than 30 minutes. She was then taken away and I didn't get to see her. The next 3 hours of waiting was torture, not knowing if she was alive and stable. The consultant came to take us down to see her. A tiny, little 1lb 2oz baby girl, perfectly formed, was hooked up to so many machines. The consultant explained just how poorly and fragile she was and that her chance of surviving was less than 20%. It really was a case of hour by hour, not day by day, as she was so underdeveloped.

The next few days we prepared for the worst and sat at her side, unable to hold her, just watching and praying. Our little fighter kept fighting and the doctors and nurses were amazing. The next few weeks showed she had a hole in her heart, a bleed on the brain and was going blind with a condition called r.o.p. The hole in her heart sealed once she came off oxygen with the help of medication. She under went 4 hours of laser eye surgery at 11 weeks old, needed 7 blood transfusions and the bleed on her brain was isolated and dried. She slowly learnt how to feed and was gaining weight slowly.

The doctors advised that if she survived, she may have severe medical issues and learning difficulties. He warned that she may not be able to walk or talk but we wouldn't know until later down the line. After 16 long weeks we got to bring our baby home. The next 2 years we spent a lot of time in and out of hospital as she had chronic lung disease but we were told she would likely grow out of that in time once her lungs developed. Her laser eye surgery was successful and her sight was saved. Now we have a happy, healthy 7 year old with no medical, learning or development issues.