Miracle Belfast baby born 4 MONTHS early with less than 1% chance of survival still fighting for life
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6/1/16 Mirror
A miracle baby is continuing to defy the odds after being born four months early with less than 1% chance of survival.
Fragile but determined to survive, little Meabh McArdle was just over 1lb when she was born on October 9 last year at 23 weeks and three days.
Mum Fionnuala was told her first child had just a 0-1% chance of survival, but knew her daughter was a fighter.
The 28-year-old, from Andersonstown in the west of Belfast, told of her delight and gratitude to the staff in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
"I have had three miscarriages now and went on to have an operation on my womb on February 3, 2015," she said.
"The operation was to remove the bit separating my womb in two.
"My pregnancies before were attaching to the bit in the middle and were not getting past eight weeks. It was awful."
Fionnuala went through the operation and was delighted to discover two months later that she was pregnant again, reports Belfast Live.
"I was over the moon, I had to go up and down to the hospital and everything was great," she explained.
"At the 12 week scan all was going brilliant and at the scan to find the gender I was told it was a girl and at 20 weeks everything was growing perfectly."
But around the 22 week mark, Fionnuala noticed a slight discharge and her mum urged her to go for a check up.
Doctors then discovered she was 2cm dilated with bulging membranes and she was admitted to hospital.
"I was told if my daughter was born at 22 weeks she would not survive," said Fionnuala.
"I was put on bed rest as an operation to put a stitch in wasn't suitable for me as it could rupture the membranes."
But events took a dangerous turn for Fionnuala and her unborn child when her waters broke at 23 weeks and one day.
Medics believe babies born prematurely in the 23rd week of pregnancy exist on the very edge of life.
With this knowledge, Fionnuala was prepared for the worst by doctors who said her daughter's chances of survival were 0-1%.
At 23 weeks and three days little Meabh arrived weighing just 1lb and half an ounce at 12.36am on October 9, 2015.
"It went so quickly, I did not have time to think about it," added Fionnuala, who also suffered an infection in the days leading up to her daughter's birth.
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"I was told she had a 0-1% chance of survival, we just had to wait and see.
"I said if there is any sign of life I wanted her worked with."
But that was not the end of their fight, it was only just beginning.
Meabh was put on a ventilator but Fionnuala said her daughter had a strong heartbeat and she knew she would fight.
"She had a really hard journey but she is 13 weeks now and weighs 3lbs 11ozs," she added.
"She had a heart operation around five weeks old on her duct to close it.
"She was one of the smallest babies and she will be in there a while but now she is one of the biggest. She went from being one of the sickest to one of the best.
"She was not supposed to be here but I would not give up on her after everything I had been through."
On Tuesday, January 5, Meabh is set to undergo more surgery on her eyes but her mum is hopeful her daughter will continue to go from strength to strength.
"She has got a huge fight ahead of her but I know she can do it, I am so proud of her," said Fionnuala.
Now the mum-of-one is on a fundraising mission to raise thousands for the staff who helped save her daughter in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
She hopes her fundraising will help buy a new piece of equipment in the unit so another premature baby stands a fighting chance.
"It is a way of saying thank you to all the staff," said Fionnuala.
"Hopefully she will be out around her due date which was February 2, or else it will be the end of February.
"I really hope I can raise about £5,000 for them so it can go towards buying a piece of equipment for the next baby."
Already Fionnuala has raised more than £600 and is planning a fundraising event on April 2 to raise more cash.
The fundraiser, which location is still being decided, will be a family fun day with Irish dancing, hip-hop dancing, bouncy castles and face painting.
Proud mum Fionnuala added: "She is very special, she is my little miracle."
To find out more about the fundraising drive and to support Fionnuala, click here .