Baby born weighing 1.3lb battles through 5 operations and 230 days in hospital
Baby Freddie was born weighing just 1.3lbs and after undergoing a number of operations and suffering several infections, he has been branded a 'miracle' for surviving
A baby weighing just 1.3lbs at birth has survived 230 days in hospital and five operations after being born at 23 weeks. Freddie, who is now eight-and-a-half months old, was born with his brother Charlie in January this year – four months before their due date.
Their mum, 30-year-old Lucy Havard, developed twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, which affects identical twins who share a placenta, and causes a disproportionate blood supply. Lucy had laser treatment to try to stop the imbalance, but went into labour a week later.
Freddie was born weighing 610 grams (1.3lbs) and Charlie was 600 grams, but he tragically passed away a week later at Medway Maritime Hospital.
After the death of his brother, Freddie was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. He developed necrotising enterocolitis – a condition that causes inflammation and death of the bowel tissue – and had an operation to remove 20cm of his bowel at just 27 weeks.
Freddie had to have a stoma bag after emergency surgery, and was also kept on a ventilator for eight weeks. He suffered jaundice and caught several infections including sepsis and suspected meningitis.
His mum said: "You know with the ventilator that it is life saving for him. But it's such a horrible thing to witness. You can't really hold them while it's in as it is a lifeline. Freddie has really been through it. We got over one hurdle and something else was thrown in his way. But he's fought through everything that was put in front of him."
Baby Freddie was eventually able to go home with mum Lucy and his dad, Sonny, without any feeding tubes on September 3rd. Lucy said: "We were grieving the loss of Charlie but had to stay strong for Freddie. Having Freddie helped us - not get over Charlie, but we had to focus on getting Freddie better. He was just so brave. It wasn't easy for him at all.
"We were told even months into his journey in the NICU that he still wasn't going to make it because he was just so, so poorly. But then he's just been so strong and fought against all the odds thrown at him, all the infections, he's had sepsis, everything you can imagine he basically had to deal with.”
Discussing Charlie, Freddie’s late twin, Lucy said: “We as a family have always said that Charlie gave everything to Freddie whilst they were both in the womb, he gave him all the extra nutrients and blood to help make Freddie strong.
"I truly believe Charlie saved Freddie, the odds and statistics weren't in their favour, but after giving him the extra blood and nutrients whilst in the womb I believe he made Freddie that bit stronger to get through his tough NICU journey.”
Freddie is now being closely monitored for cerebral palsy, given what he’s been through, but he is “smiling, babbling and playing with toys”, Lucy said. She called the doctors and nurses at Royal London “absolutely incredible" and praised the Sick Children’s Trust for giving her a place to stay near the hospital while Freddie was in the NICU so she could be close to her son. Sonny is now set to run a half marathon for the charity next year to "give a little something back".
Lucy shared a message of hope with other families, explaining: "On my lowest days, I used to search the internet, just looking for positive stories because all I was being told by the doctors was he's not going to survive. And there's very few stories out there of babies being born at his gestation and his weight and surviving.”
She continued: "So, I just wanted to share some hope for other people: even if the doctors are preparing you for the worst it doesn't mean that's always the case because he's proof, he did make it. Miracles do happen."