Little miracles are a picture of health

Apr 6 2006 By Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail

THEY'VE beaten the odds to survive and are looking a picture of health!

Babies who are flourishing after starting their lives in an incubator were given a special treat. The youngsters attended a special party at the neonatal unit at Birmingham Women's Hospital.

The party was organised by the unit's support group for parents of special care babies. The centrepiece was a cake in the shape of an incubator with three babies, made by parent Mark Avery, who is a baker.

Mark, aged 43, and wife Dulcie, from Northfield, are parents of 16-month-old Samuel who was born four months premature.

Dulcie, a 37-year-old supermarket checkout manager, was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and Samuel had to be delivered at just 28 weeks.

She said: "He was in hospital for four months, on an incubator and ventilator and then on oxygen. When he was allowed to go home we had to keep him on oxygen for a further two-and-a-half months.

"The nurses and midwives were excellent and now he is fighting fit and thriving. He is crawling and growing well."

The couple are so thrilled at Samuel's progress that they now offer support to other parents going through the same experience.

"Last week we met another couple whose baby is going home on oxygen and we able to talk to them about our experience," she said. "The hospital and staff were great, they even came to Samuel's christening. It is because of them that my son is alive, we can't say thank you enough."

Sister Sue Hodgson, who runs the support group, said: "We are so proud of the mums and dads who provide friendship and help to each other.

"We wanted to thank them and also welcome back many of the babies who are having their first birthdays around this time of year.

"Babies are often on the unit for weeks, if not months, and the support group gives parents the opportunity to meet others going through the same anxieties and reassure each other."

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