A ‘miracle’ baby given a less than one in ten chance of survival has defied the odds to celebrate her first Christmas at home.
Little Everleigh-Mae Russell was born on July 30 at just 34 weeks weighing only 3lb 10.5oz and rushed to intensive care.
The tot was born with a series of complex disabilities, no left leg, and an extremely rare heart condition called an Aortopulmonary Window.
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Everleigh-Mae’s heartbroken mum Emma Russell received the devastating news that her little girl had a tiny chance of surviving major open heart surgery and had just a one in ten chance of survival on a bypass machine.
But committed to doing everything she could for her then 4lb baby, Everleigh-Mae underwent major surgery on September 27 and after a nerve-racking 12 hour wait Emma received the news her miracle infant had survived.
Now Emma, a mum of four, has celebrated the Christmas she never thought she’d have with her ‘tiny princess’ who is starting to go from strength to strength at home.
Emma, 38, told The Northern Echo: “It’s just such a miracle that we’ve been able to celebrate the Christmas that we never thought we’d have with her.
“I was told when she was two months old that she had an extremely rare heart condition and she’d need surgery. No parent wants to find out their baby only has a one in ten chance of survival on a bypass machine never mind surviving surgery.”
Everleigh-Mae had a CT scan on September 8 which found her heart was not structured as it should have been and Emma endured a painful 19 day wait for her to go into surgery on September 27 at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.
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“Those two weeks were spent spending every second with Everleigh, with the cloud hanging over me that there was a chance I’d never get to take my baby home,” Emma said.
“I had to choose between going ahead with the surgery with a very high chance of losing her or doing nothing and letting her slowly die.
“No one thought she would survive but my little miracle made it through and fought like a star.”
Everleigh-Mae finally came left hospital for the first time on October 20, almost three months after she was born to join her big sisters Amelia-Rose, 6, Ash, 15, and big brother Noah, 8.
Emma added: “It’s still a long road to go and she’s still only about 7lb and going to need lots of support - we still have to feed her through a tube but now she’s had the surgery there’s no limit on her life expectancy.”
The Newton Aycliffe mum is now aiming to raise funds for the Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman where Everleigh-Mae underwent her surgery.
Speaking to The Northern Echo on Christmas Day, Emma said: “We're having a lovely day today, it's been really relaxed. Everleigh-Mae is asleep on her sister as we speak.
“It's been a horrible year for us and we'll be glad to see the back of it so bring on 2023.”
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