An insightful new documentary commissioned by BBC One Scotland will look into the lives of premature babies born at the height of the pandemic, in Wishaw's own neonatal unit.
Tiny Lives will return to University Hospital Wishaw to follow the dedicated teams who provide round-the-clock care there.
Some of these newborn babies are at the edge of life and this compelling four-part series highlights the emotional journey their parents go on just to take them home.
READ MORE - Scotland's Home of the Year viewers hit back claiming the wrong house won
The first 72 hours of a premature baby’s life are critical. How they adapt to life outside the womb is closely monitored as they learn to breathe, feed and fight off infection without the support from their mum’s body.
In this first episode, Tiny Lives meets baby Alfie who was born at 27 weeks after showing signs of distress in the womb.
At just four months old, his lungs are not yet ready to breathe on their own and a ventilator is keeping him alive.
Alfie’s parents, Monica and Gary, face a long and uncertain journey as they adapt to life with a baby in neonatal intensive care.
At one point, they are called to the hospital when Alfie’s lungs collapse and his heart rate drops drastically as the team battle to keep him alive against the odds.
Sign up to Glasgow Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
Alfie was born at the height of the pandemic in Scotland where covid cases and staff absences stretched the NHS to the limit.
The Neonatal Unit’s senior midwife, Kate Boyle, is faced with added pressures as the pandemic impacts staffing.
Premature baby Ayla - who was born at 26 weeks - is in isolation and requires constant one-on-one medical attention.
Nurse, Laura Lang, spends her 12-hour shift in the room with little Ayla while both of the newborn’s parents stay away from the hospital having tested positive for Covid.
This new documentary is set to bring tears to everyone's eyes, and will be shown on BBC Scotland on Monday, June 13 at 8:30pm.
