From the Belfast Telegraph,
Ireland’s smallest surviving premature baby is today thriving at home with her parents.
Tiny Sive McDonald was just 420g — less than a pound — when she arrived into the world 16 weeks early.
She was smaller than the palm of her dad’s hand at full stretch — about the length of a Biro (ball-point pen).
Aisling McDonald (32), from Mullingar, Westmeath, and her husband John McDonald (30), from Bagenalstown, Carlow, met in Australia and married back home. They were looking forward to the birth of their first baby last summer.
But they were given “no hope” when baby Sive had to be delivered 16 weeks premature on June 11.
Aisling suffered from high blood pressure during her pregnancy.
“It all happened really quick. We were brought from St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny to Waterford Regional Hospital where there is a special baby unit,” said Mr McDonald.
“They were giving us no hope, to be honest. They gave us a room to stay in by ourselves and were really supportive. There was a priest there all the time and we were facing the worst-case scenario.”
Aisling’s system was under pressure and the doctors wanted to ensure her life was not in danger.
“She could have had a stroke. They said they were doing the best for the baby but Aisling was the priority.”
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“We were told babies don’t survive outside the womb unless they are more than 24 weeks. Sive was 23 weeks and five days.”
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“We still can’t believe it. We brought her home to Kilkenny a month before Christmas and she is 9lb 6oz now. She’s the equivalent of two months old. Her eyes are perfect, her ears are clear and she’s responsive for two months.”
The parents are sharing their story to comfort other families of premature babies. “We are doing up a poster for the wall of the special baby unit to show how Sive survived. She’s the best. We feel like the luckiest people alive.”
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