Baby Charvi Matthews weighed just 14oz after being born more than three months prematurely at just 22-weeks-old.
Parents Millisa Matthews and Daniel Golding, from Greenwich in the UK, described the fragility of their baby. The couple said that Charvi was so small that she was the same size as the little doll they tucked into her incubator.
Doctors gave baby Charvi a slim 10% chance of survival.
However, following specialist care and 35 blood transfusions, little Charvi defied the doctor’s expectations. She can now breathe on her own and drink from a bottle.
Proud mum Millisa said: “There was no way I was going to give up on her, no matter how much the odds were stacked against her…
“Doctors have told me she has exceeded all of their expectations – they didn’t think she’d survive the first 48 hours.
“There were times where I doubted our decisions to keep up Charvi’s treatment…
“But deep down, I always knew she’d make it, even when doctors told me I was just ‘prolonging the inevitable’ – and I want to share that message of hope to other families…
“I want other mothers to know that 22-weekers can survive, so don’t give up hope.
“Miracles can and do happen – Charvi has proven that.”
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “The story of baby Charvi is a heart-warming story of devotion and the overcoming of great odds.
“This story shows us how just how strong human life is, and when it is given a chance it can find a way to thrive.”