Parents praise medical staff for saving daughter born weighing just one pound
Share:
A couple whose daughter was born weighing just one pound and spent her first six months in hospital have praised medical staff after she was finally allowed to go home. Katie McArthur, 27, said staff “saved our baby girl time and time again” and she described the past few months as a “rollercoaster ride”.
Hope was born at just 23 weeks after Ms McArthur unexpectedly went into labour with her twin girls at the Royal Alexandra Maternity Hospital in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on July 30 last year. She and her partner John Fry, 27, welcomed daughter Faith first, who was quickly taken by the medical team for urgent care, and Hope was born shortly afterwards.
Faith did not survive but Hope was transferred to the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow. Ms McArthur said: “We were told to rest while both babies received immediate medical support due to their premature birth. “Shortly afterward, the team delivered the devastating news that Faith hadn’t survived. They brought her to us, and we spent some precious time with her.”.
After being moved to the hospital in Glasgow, Hope faced ongoing challenges and spent several months there. Her mother said: “Hope seemed to be doing okay initially. She weighed just 461 grams and was fed through a tube while in an incubator. “However, on day five her condition worsened.
“Her heart rate kept dropping, and she required resuscitation. It was discovered that she had a brain bleed and a perforated bowel, necessitating emergency surgery.”. Hope recovered but faced ongoing health issues, including low oxygen levels and difficulty gaining weight, while she also needed additional surgery.
