A set of Glasgow parents have welcomed their baby girl home after she spent nine months in hospital after weighing only 1lb and 14oz at birth.
Aria Leigh Foreman was born at just 27 weeks with a rare genetic condition called complete DiGeorge syndrome. Mum, Kayleigh Coyle, was rushed in for an emergency c-section on November 19, 2021 after noticing less movement from her unborn baby.
Kayleigh attended hospital and was asked to return the following day for a growth scan, but was rushed to surgery after medics made a "30 second crash call” when they realised her baby's heart rate was drastically low, reports the Daily Record.
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Just one hour later Aria was born at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow. Aria's genetic disorder means that Aria was born within a thymus gland - which produces white blood cells - and is vital for fighting infection.
Less than one per cent of children are born with the condition, which leaves them immunocompromised and is typically fatal after two years.
In addition little Aria had to deal with health issues surrounding her premature birth, so she spent her first three months at the maternity hospital before being transferred to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Parents Kayleigh and Liam were told their daughter would be one of under 70 children to receive a pioneering and life-saving thymus transplant at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) when she weighed enough.
She has now been allowed to go home after nine months in hospital.
Kayleigh said: "Aria was finally discharged on August 4 after spending nine-months of her life in hospital and has check-ups every two weeks now.
"When she was diagnosed with complete DiGeorge syndrome it was really scary because no one could prepare us as no one really knew much about it.
"She is still on a lot of medication including antibiotics every day in case she gets an infection. We need to keep her very isolated so she is safe and have only recently started letting people come to meet her.
"Aria had the thymus transplant in March as we had to wait until she weighed two and a half kilograms. She went back for a biopsy three months later. As far as I'm aware, there is nothing to say it hasn't worked but the doctor said we need to wait until it has been nine-months to really see.
"She is a wee trooper and looking at her you wouldn't know half of what she has been through."
But the traumatic journey has been hard for the full family as new parents Kayleigh and Liam had to watch their first born struggle to breathe. The pair spent a lot of time apart when Aria was moved to a ward, as Kayleigh stayed Monday to Friday and Liam stayed on weekends.
Kayleigh continued: "Six months of our lives were full of bleeping monitors, tubes, bloods, scans, bad news, good news and so much more. Nothing could prepare you for what we went through and what we watched our girl go through.
But the traumatic journey has been hard for the full family as new parents Kayleigh and Liam had to watch their first born struggle to breathe. The pair spent a lot of time apart when Aria was moved to a ward, as Kayleigh stayed Monday to Friday and Liam stayed on weekends.
Kayleigh continued: "Six months of our lives were full of bleeping monitors, tubes, bloods, scans, bad news, good news and so much more. Nothing could prepare you for what we went through and what we watched our girl go through.
"Our wee baby girl would not be here today without them. It is Aria's first birthday on November 19 so we're going to host a fundraiser for both hospitals and try to give something back to them.
"The staff have become more like family to us and they are absolutely amazing."
You can donate to the fundraising page here.
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