A ‘ᴍɪʀᴀᴄʟᴇ’ baby daughter born at 23 weeks and six days, weighing ʟᴇss ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀ ᴘɪɴᴇᴀᴘᴘʟᴇ, is finally home, four months after being born in the ᴍɪᴅᴅʟᴇ ᴏf ʟᴏᴄᴋᴅᴏᴡɴ. Matthew,30, a lorry driver, and Tiffany, 32, an embroiderer, had always dreamed of becoming parents, since meeting 12 years ago.
Matthew said: “We’ve always wanted a family one child would be enough. But after sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟɪɴɢ to ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇ, the couple turned to ⒾⓋⒻ. It was four or five years before Tiffany fell ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ with Ruby. Mᴇɴᴛᴀʟʟʏ it was ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ and Tiffany kept saying that she was getting ᴏʟᴅᴇʀ. But it’s never too late. However, in December 2019, Tiffany and Matthew were given a glimmer of hope, as Tiffany got ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ, after ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠɪɴɢ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟʟʏ. She said: “Tiffany said she felt sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ and took a ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ᴛᴇsᴛ. When she said she was ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ, I ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ believe it. I was so happy. But there’s always this ᴡᴏʀʀʏ in the back of your mind.” The experience was ᴅᴏᴜʙʟʏ sᴛʀᴇssFᴜʟ for Matthew and Tiffany ᴛʀᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ʟᴏsᴛ their first daughter, Ruby, after she was born at ᴊᴜsᴛ 24 weeks and 3 days old in 2018.
Matthew said: “We had Ruby for a week and then she ᴘᴀssᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ. It was the ᴡᴏʀsᴛ day of my life. It was ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴅᴀʀᴋ. We are in a much better place now. ” And, again, the couple ɢʀᴇᴡ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇʀɴᴇᴅ when at the 16-week sᴄᴀɴ it was looking likely their child was going to be born ᴇᴀʀʟʏ. Tiffany’s ᴄᴇʀᴠɪx was ᴡɪᴅᴇ ᴏᴘᴇɴ so they gave her sᴛɪᴛᴄʜᴇs to try to make sure Millie ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ born too ᴇᴀʀʟʏ. But at 23 weeks and five days Tiffany went into ʟᴀʙᴏᴜʀ. This time, they were prepared, had packed a bag and were ready to go to Sᴛ Pᴇᴛᴇʀ’s ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ ɪɴ Sᴜʀʀᴇʏ. But ᴅᴜᴇ to ᴄᴏʀᴏɴᴀᴠɪʀᴜs, Matthew ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ allowed in. Matthew said : “I waited until Tiffany was rested, then got in my car and stayed in a lay-by. We live 40 minutes away. Nᴏ ᴡᴀʏ was I going home.” Luckily , Millie was born the next afternoon. Tʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴛ weighed ᴊᴜsᴛ 1lb 7 at birth and had a ᴍᴀssɪᴠᴇ ʜᴏʟᴇ in her ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ.
But Millie ᴅᴇFɪᴇᴅ all ᴏᴅᴅs to sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ, Tʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴛ also Fᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴏff seven ɪɴFᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs, ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅɪɴɢ sᴜsᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ sᴇᴘsɪs, and ʀᴇᴄᴏᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ from sᴜʀɢᴇʀʏ to Fɪx ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʟᴇ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ before ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴅᴇᴇᴍᴇᴅ her Fɪᴛ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ to return home. And her parents are now celebrating after ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs finally allowed them to bring her home last week. The proud parents were finally allowed to bring their little girl home. Matthew said:” We are ᴊᴜsᴛ so happy she’s home and sᴀFᴇ. She’s ɢᴏɴᴇ from being 1lb 7oz to 5lb 11oz. It’s amazing to see. She’s looking like a ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ɴᴇᴡʙᴏʀɴ now. We’re over the moon that she’s back. We’re fulfilled , we’ve been waiting for this moment for so long.” The couple want to thank all the ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ sᴛᴀFF for doing their best. They ᴊᴜsᴛ so thankful to be finally back at home all together, sᴀFᴇ.
Matthew added: “I ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ want to go ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ everything that ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ, so ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ want any more children. We ᴊᴜsᴛ want Millie to have the absolute very best and to be a ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ girl. She’s had a ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ sᴛᴀʀᴛ but what ᴅᴏᴇsɴ’ᴛ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ you makes you stronger. And we are so happy and very proud to be her parents.”
