Our miracle babies will make us count our blessings this Christmas

This time of year is special for every child. But for these little ones, being here at all is the greatest gift

By Alison Palmer

Gabriel Papworth
Gabriel is one and lives in Bradford with his mum Stephanie, 34, a drug and alcohol counsellor, his brother Jacob, 16, and sister, Maisie, 10.

Stephanie says: "I was leaning over the toilet suffering morning sickness when I felt the lump on the outer edge of my left breast. I don’t know why but I knew instantly it was cancer. After 11 long days I got the news I’d been dreading. By then I was 10 weeks pregnant. There was no way I could terminate. But my baby had saved me – because of him I’d discovered the lump when I did. My doctor said that although he couldn’t be 100% sure, he didn’t think the chemo would affect the baby, so we began. At the beginning of July 2009, I had surgery and after the operation the midwife came to listen to the baby’s heartbeat. At first she couldn’t hear  it. On the third try it rang out loud and clear.

I had four sessions of chemo, one every three weeks. After each one Gabriel, normally so active, would be still for two days. Plagued with nausea and lethargy, the guilt was unbearable. They decided to induce me six weeks early as I needed stronger chemotherapy and on November 25, 2010 after 16 hours in labour, Gabriel was born weighing 4lb 13oz. Just weeks later I started my next round of chemotherapy. It made me really ill and I lost my hair, but 12 weeks ago I was finally given the all-clear.

Like every other mum I used to fret about whether I’d bought enough food for Christmas or remembered to send everyone a card. But cancer changes you. I’m here, and what’s more, so is my little boy. We can have fish and chips for Christmas dinner for all I care!"

Ailsa Shand
Ailsa Shand, two, lives in Salisbury, Wilts, with her mum Dawn, 36, dad Neil, 40, who are both civil servants, and her sister Iona, four. Dawn says:

Ailsa and Iona are getting a trampoline for Christmas. I absolutely cannot wait to watch Ailsa bouncing on it after all she’s been through. On December 5, 2009, when Ailsa was just four-months-old, we were having dinner when she suddenly began to cry. We assumed she wanted her bottle but she wouldn’t take it and got progressively more agitated.

She went very pale and at that point I phoned the duty doctor. When he heard her horrible high-pitched cry he sent an ambulance. As we arrived at A&E Ailsa made a horrible gurgling noise and went floppy.

For the next hour I watched as medics tried to resuscitate her. She was in cardiac arrest. I’ve never been more afraid. She had a tear in her diaphragm that had allowed her stomach contents to escape into her chest and was taken for surgery. There was another problem, too – her leg was black. It was dying because it was deprived of oxygen during cardiac arrest.

At first they hoped they’d be able to save most of it but it was obvious it was poisoning her. On my birthday – December 15 – they had to amputate. We were discharged the night before Christmas Eve. The girls had barely any presents – we didn’t have time to shop – but it didn’t matter. Ailsa was alive.

At 10 months, she began crawling and, although walking still seemed such a long way off, she finally did it this spring.

Cicely Caroline-Hines
Cicely Caroline-Hines, nearly one, lives in Bromley, Kent, with mum Louise, 45, dad Rory, 32, and Logan, seven. Louise says:

"I remember watching a friend’s baby crawling around the Christmas tree last year. I rubbed my bump, still amazed that – after years of heartache – I’d soon have a little one, too. Cicely was born just days later – our second little miracle. Logan was born 12 weeks premature in September 2004 weighing just 2lb. My waters broke and I developed an infection in my womb so they had to deliver him.

Three years later I got pregnant again but at 23 weeks my waters went. I was rushed to hospital where it became clear that another infection was taking hold. I had to be induced. Randall was born on January 30, 2008 weighing 1lb 4oz. We held him until he passed away. But I was desperate to try again and was pregnant soon after. My obstetrician diagnosed an incompetent cervix and said I’d need a cervical stitch at 16 weeks to stop it opening.

"I had the operation, but at 20 weeks my waters were bulging again and infection was setting in. I had to deliver beautiful Beth who weighed just 9oz. Rory and I were shattered by grief, but my desire to have another child was all-encompassing.

I discovered I was expecting last April. Passing 28 weeks, the point at which Logan was born, was a milestone. And with every week I felt more confident to go out and buy baby bits. At 39 weeks and 4 days my doctor came in on his day off to deliver our baby girl."

Charley Dornan
Charley Dornan is three and lives in North London with his stay-at-home mum Maggie, 46, dad Andrew, a 48-year-old graphic designer, and his sister, Emma, who is seven. Maggie says:

"Putting up a tree, cooking a turkey, even just having family time are all things you take for granted, but they’re things Charley’s never really known. When he was born on May 7, 2008, weighing just 4lb 4oz it was obvious there was something wrong and he was taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital. At first they thought he might have a neuromuscular condition, but he had other complications, too. He was a complete mystery.

"That Christmas Charley had pneumonia and was on oxygen 24 hours a day. We never unpacked our bags because at any minute his condition would dip and we’d be back in hospital. The following year was a blur of appointments. At one point he ended up in a coma. I honestly wondered whether he’d make Christmas 2009. But he battled on. And it was just a week before Christmas that year that I had a call that changed our lives.

Geneticists had discovered he’d developed leukaemia. The only treatment was a bone marrow transplant. That Christmas was horrendous. On August 9, 2010, Charley and I entered the isolation room that was to become our home for the next 10 months.

He began chemotherapy and had the transfusion. We had expected to be home for Christmas but Charley’s immune system was too weak so instead we spent it in our ‘bubble’. But slowly he got stronger and on June 9 this year – his sister’s birthday – we were finally allowed home.

Today, Charley is completely cured. Developmentally he’s a bit behind but none of that matters. He’s here."

Source: Daily Mirror