Parents who refused to switch off baby’s life support machine celebrate her first Christmas at home
Mum Lauren Smith lost one twin after her unborn daughters suffered twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome but the second defied doctors
A MUM who was told to switch off the life support machine when her baby was only four weeks old is looking forward to spending their first Christmas at home.
Lauren Smith tragically lost one twin, Elouise, after giving birth at just 23 weeks last Christmas.
But little Ava defied doctors to battle through and is now thriving.
Last Christmas, Lauren was rushed to hospital after her waters broke at 23 weeks.
Her tiny unborn daughters were suffering from twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome which meant that one — Ava — had a greater blood supply.
This left Elouise deprived of nutrients as medics battled to keep them in the womb.
Days later, the girls were born 14 weeks premature.
Tragically Elouise, who weighed 12oz, lived for only 18 hours before suffering a bleed on the brain.
Ava, who weighed 1lb 10oz, did not breathe for the first four minutes and was given a five per cent chance of survival. But after 16 weeks in hospital, she amazed medics by becoming strong enough to go home.
This Christmas will be the first Lauren, 23, and her partner Graham Lucas, 27, have shared with their miracle baby.
The proud mum, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, says: “It will be a world away from last year.
“But of course it will be tainted with sadness.
“While Ava will be opening her presents, we’ll be thinking of how Elouise should be with us.
“For those few hours they were together, you could see the love between them, as Ava hugged Elouise.”
Lauren was diagnosed with stage three twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome at her 17-week scan.
She says: “In most twin pregnancies, the babies share one placenta and one sac, but my girls were in the 15 per cent where they have one placenta and their own sac.
“The larger one, who we later named Ava, was getting almost all the blood supply.
“The smaller, Elouise, was getting hardly any nutrition.
“She also had no fluid around her.”
Lauren had laser ablation surgery in November last year to even the blood flow.
But it was unsuccessful and on Christmas Eve she suffered a bleed.
Lauren, who works with disabled adults, says: “On Christmas morning, before opening any presents, we rushed to hospital and it was confirmed that my membranes had ruptured and waters had broken.
“The next few days and weeks were terrifying as we didn’t know if either of our baby girls would survive.
“We both felt so helpless.”
On January 2, Lauren gave birth naturally at 25 weeks and both babies were whisked away to a neonatal ward.
She says: “The doctors were desperate to stave off labour for as long as possible, as every extra gram of weight the girls had when they were born could save their lives.
“I was given strict orders to have bed rest, but then it just happened.
“Ava was born first at 10.48pm and Elouise 13 minutes later.
“They were so small.
“They looked like tiny little birds, so unready for this world.”
Early the next morning, Lauren and Graham, a plasterer, were allowed to visit the twins but Elouise’s condition was declining.
Lauren says: “The girls were in separate incubators on opposite sides of the room.
“I ran out of the ward crying when I saw Elouise had blood coming out of her nose, eyes and ears.
“Nurses told me she had a bleed on the brain.
“Hours later, the doctors told us Elouise wouldn’t survive and we should turn off the life-support machine.
"It was the hardest decision ever but we knew we had to let her go.
“They put Elouise in Ava’s incubator, where they had their last cuddle.
“We will treasure those photos forever.”
The only thing keeping Lauren and Graham going was the fact Ava still had a chance of survival.
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Lauren says: “Because our laser ablation surgery had failed, doctors told us Ava had just a five per cent chance of survival.
“But seeing her and feeling her pulse gave us hope.
“We sat by her bed reading her stories and praying she would make it home.
“On January 16, I cuddled her for the first time but she still couldn’t breathe on her own and an eye infection had spread to her brain.
"She had severe bowel infections too which could have caused brain damage, and on February 23, Graham’s birthday, she had ten seizures.
“When doctors told us it might be best to turn her life-support machine off too, I couldn’t bear it.
“We felt like we owed it to Elouise to do everything we could for Ava, so we asked doctors to wait.”
Ava’s condition gradually improved and she was transferred to The Rosie Hospital in Cambridge, where the family received help from The Sick Children’s Trust.
As she got stronger, Ava was moved to Peterborough City Hospital and on April 25, nine days after her original due date, she came home.
Ava still has problems, including chronic lung disease and grade three brain damage, but is a happy little girl.
Lauren says: “One of the consultants told us that she is what he calls a ‘rare miracle baby’.
“She had a five per cent chance of survival but now here she is, giggling, smiling and keeping us up at night.
“After Elouise’s funeral, we put her ashes into a teddy bear which Ava has slept with every night.
“On Christmas Day we’ll have our family round and set a place for Elouise at the table, next to Ava — and we’ll all toast our beautiful little girls.”
Lauren and Graham were supported by the Sick Children’s Trust.
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