by Tiny Baby Born 3 Months ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ Weighing Less Than 3lbs Makes Miracle Recovery Make You Surprise After 6 Months
Doctors in Liverpool were forced to put the baby on a ᴠᴇɴᴛɪʟᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʜɪs ʟᴜɴɢs, after he was born with ᴄʜʀᴏɴɪᴄ ʟᴜɴɢ ᴅɪsᴇᴀsᴇ. A tiny baby born three months ᴇᴀʀʟʏ and Fɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ for his life, has recovered and now towers over the cherished cuddly teddy octopus which once ᴅᴡᴀʀFᴇᴅ him.
Little Bailey Appleyard was born weighing just 2lbs 6oz after his mum Clair Felstead went into labour at 25 weeks and six days, the Liverpool Echo reported. Not only was he born ᴇᴀʀʟʏ, the tiny tot had ᴄʜʀᴏɴɪᴄ ʟᴜɴɢ ᴅɪsᴇᴀsᴇ and caught ᴇ-ᴄᴏʟɪ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ʜɪs ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ.
But brave Bailey, now six months old, pulled through, and is now big enough to tuck the cuddly octopus under his arm, and is thriving at home in Leighton, Cheshire.
Clair said: “Jordan and I were ᴛᴇʀʀɪFɪᴇᴅ when we were told that he could die at any moment if not under the most professional care. We were told by the doctor that I was asking questions they don’t know the answer to, which sᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ me even more.”
Clair, a call centre worker, was surprised when she went into labour on the 23rd February after being told she was told the pregnancy was normal. She was getting ready for work, but visited the hospital ɪᴍᴍᴇᴅɪᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴀFᴛᴇʀ Fᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ʟᴀʙᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴀɪɴs.
Clair said: “It was almost like he was just ready to come out ᴇᴀʀʟʏ, we experienced no ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs or health warnings.”
She went to the hospital that morning and found out from the doctor that she was 6cm dilated.
Clair added: “I was given ᴛᴀʙʟᴇᴛs ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇʟᴀʏ the pregnancy by 48 hours as I wanted to make sure the baby was safe, two days later, I gave birth to baby Bailey.”
Despite the ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄs’ best efforts, Bailey was born at 25 weeks and six days on February 23, in 2020 at Leighton Hospital in Crewe.
Clair said: “I saw my baby come out and he was laid on the table for a moment and then swept off into an ᴀᴍʙᴜʟᴀɴᴄᴇ to Liverpool. Doctors at Leighton hospital told me the baby would have a better chance of sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ at the Liverpool hospital. I sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇᴅ with so many ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴs. This was my first baby and I just wanted everything to go perfectly.”
Doctors weren’t able to say what caused his ᴇᴀʀʟʏ arrival, but put him on ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴏᴜs ᴀɴᴛɪʙɪᴏᴛɪᴄs ᴛᴏ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɢɪᴏᴜs ɪʟʟɴᴇssᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴFᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴏɴɪᴛᴏʀᴇᴅ ʜɪs ʟᴜɴɢs ᴀɴᴅ ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ. He was diagnosed with ᴄʜʀᴏɴɪᴄ ʟᴜɴɢ ᴅɪsᴇᴀsᴇ as a result of the ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ birth and was put on a ventilator for a few weeks to help his ʟᴜɴɢs. The tot was experiencing trouble ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ until he reached 36 weeks of gestation. During his growth, Bailey was ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ E-ᴄᴏʟɪ, which could have ᴘᴏᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟʟʏ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛᴇᴅ through his feeding tube.
Clair said: “As a first time mother, I was sᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ of anything and everything. We had fears that Bailey would have different ɪɴFᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs everyday that could be ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟʏ.”
Due to the ᴄᴏʀᴏɴᴀᴠɪʀᴜs ʟᴏᴄᴋᴅᴏᴡɴ, Clair and Jordan, 25, stayed in a local hotel and were only allowed to visit baby Bailey separately and on alternating days. Bailey was discharged in late May, a week before his initial due date and weighs around 16lbs at 6 months and is a healthy, bubbly baby. Due to ᴄᴏʀᴏɴᴀᴠɪʀᴜs, parents are unable to take their babies to the clinic as often unless of ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ.
