A pregnant mum who woke up "covered in blood" was told a womb infection was poisoning both her and her baby.
Courtney Harvey, 21, fell pregnant in October 2021 but soon began suffering several bleeds and crippling morning sickness. She was rushed to hospital three times after bleeding but was told that the baby was "still there and doing fine".
However, at 22 weeks, Courtney woke up to find she was "covered in blood" before she was rushed to hospital for a series of tests and a scan. Doctors then gave her the devastating news that she had an infection in her womb and that she and her baby were "poisoning each other".
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Doctors were unable to tell if Courtney's baby would survive or not before her waters suddenly broke at 23 weeks. She was taken to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, two days later having contractions after not realising the baby was on the way.
She said: "It was such little water I thought the baby was on my bladder and just peed myself. But I started getting pain and when I arrived, I was told I was in labour.
"The labour was horrible, and she was breach which made it more difficult. When she finally arrived, she didn't make a sound and it took a few seconds before she cried.
"She was laid on my chest and put in a sort of sandwich bag to keep her warm. I couldn't believe she was actually here."
Baby Melanie Harvey arrived 17 weeks early weighing 1lb, less than a can of beans, and was taken to a neonatal ward. After recovering from labour, Courtney and her partner Sam Penny, 21, were told the devastating news that their little girl, who was on a ventilator, only had a 10% chance of survival.
Courtney, from St Blazey, Cornwall, said: "I couldn't believe it, but we stayed strong for her sake. Sam and I travelled back and forth every day from Cornwall to Plymouth to see her. The hospital and staff were amazing.
"After a few weeks, we were able to stay in the Keep Me Closer housing block which was just a short walk away from her ward."
Melanie spent three months in intensive care where she suffered a catalogue of health issues including a bleed on the brain. She also had a detached retina in both eyes, and she needed surgery to save her sight.
Despite the low survival odds, Melanie was taken off oxygen after three-and-a-half months. She was taken off a feeding tube and finally able to go home on July 24, 2022, where she has been ever since.
Courtney said: "She's such a little character - she'll eat anything you put in front of her. My mum and dad, Sharon Michael, and Samuel's mum Donna, all love her so much.
"It was amazing when they all finally meet her properly. She now weighs 15lb, she's still small for her age, but I can't believe how much she's grown.
"I never knew you could have a baby that premature. It was scary, but we had great support around us.
"In many ways I feel so lucky because she pulled through and she's here."
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