The tiny baby given five per cent chance of survival defies the odds

Little Felicity Birks is a treasure to her mum and dad and three big brothers.

But just 18 months ago her parents were told their new-born baby had just a five per cent chance of survival.

“Nothing can prepare you for hearing the words ‘I’m sorry but she might not make it.’ Our hearts shattered into a million pieces,” says mum Charlie.

Felicity was born 11 weeks prematurely not breathing.

Doctors took 30 minutes to resuscitate her before stabilising her and transferring her from Doncaster to Sheffield Children’s Hospital where they were told she was suffering from a rare condition.

Her parents are telling her story to raise awareness of World Prematurity Day on Tuesday and also funds for the Sick Children’s Trust which enabled Charlie to stay with her baby for the three months she was in hospital in Sheffield.

Their home from home also allowed visit from her dad Carl and big brothers Jayden, Anthony and Oliver.

“She had something we had never heard of before, hydrops fetalis, quite a rare condition.”

Hydrops fetalis occurs when a large amount of fluid builds up in the baby’s tissues and organs. In Felicity’s case, it was her abdomen and brain, causing extreme swelling.

“The outlook for hydrops depends on the underlying condition, but even with treatment the survival rate is low,” says Charlie.

“Still to this day we do not know what Felicity’s underlying condition is. Carl’s first look at his daughter was a photo taken on a phone and Felicity covered in wires – mine wasn’t until a day later.”

Only around 20 per cent of babies diagnosed with hydrops fetalis before birth will survive delivery and of those only half will survive.

“Felicity was given a five per cent chance and for those first few days we were told she was unlikely to make it and to take out time with her, enjoying the time we had hour by hour,” recalls Charlie.

“We were devastated, but those hours turned into days and those days turned into weeks.”
It was not all plain sailing.

Within the first three weeks of her life, Felicity, whose weight had dropped to 2lb 10oz after the excess fluid was drained, had three major operations 
for a bowel perforation and a gastric tear.

“But she pulled through,” says her mum. “This tiny little girl pulled through and defeated the huge odds set again her.”

After five weeks, Felicity gained enough weight to be transferred to the Neo Natal Surgical Unit. It was here the couple from Doncaster learnt about The Sick Children’s Trust’s Magnolia House.

“If it wasn’t for the nurses telling us about it, I would’ve had no choice but to go home. I would’ve had to travel two hours every day to see my baby to spend just a few hours at her bedside before leaving. It was heartbreaking enough without that.

“The best thing about being given a place to stay by The Sick Children’s Trust was that I was able to tuck in my baby girl 
 every night and do night feeds without having to travel to get there. I could do mum duties throughout the day and night and not have to worry about missing out or not being there for her.

“It was by far the hardest time of our lives, with the help of The Sick Children’s Trust our journey was so much more bearable, it really is a ‘Home from Home’ and we can’t thank the charity enough.”

It also meant dad Carl could take Jayden, now 13, Anthony nine and Oliver, three, to meet their sister.

“Having a family room at Magnolia House helped with the pressure of their dad being at home and me staying in 
hospital.”

Three months after Felicity was born, she was finally able to go home for the first time.

She celebrated her first birthday during lockdown in April surrounded by her brothers and mum and dad.

“I’m delighted to say that she is hitting her milestones despite being warned she wouldn’t. She is very much loved and treasured by her brothers and parents.”

At a time when everything is uncertain, The Sick Children’s Trust gives families some stability in their day-to-day life, by supporting them with a place to stay close to their baby. Evidence shows better outcomes for babies when their mums and dads are involved in providing hands-on care while they are in hospital, as Charlie and Carl were able to do due to having a ‘‘Home from Home’’ at Magnolia House.

“When Charlie and Carl came to stay with us, all they wanted was to be by Felicity’s bedside,” says Jane Featherstone, Chief Executive at The Sick Children’s Trust.

“They had no idea how long they would be away from home and be there for both Felicity and their three sons.

“We gave them one less thing to worry about by giving them a place to stay, free of charge just minutes from their daughter’s bedside. At Magnolia House, not only could they be close to Felicity but so could her brothers which is incredibly important.

“Tuesday, November 17 marks World Prematurity Day and while we know this year has been a challenging one for everyone, we are asking the public to consider making a £30 donation to The Sick Children’s Trust to support families with premature babies in hospital.

“This money will go directly towards giving a family like the Birks a place to stay close to their baby’s bedside, keeping a family together, and the doors of our ‘Homes from Home’ open.”

To find out more about The Sick Children’s Trust, visit sickchildrenstrust.org