Miracle mum Aislinn shares Lily's story:

Eight weeks post-diagnosed with Placenta Previa I started bleeding. I was hospitalised and woke one morning for obs, when I realised my waters had broken. A couple of hours later my little Lily came into the world, a tiny little baby with the biggest will to live, so very strong, and the star of NICU. Lily had a little bit of oxygen but didn’t need resuscitation or CPAP. She moved within two weeks from NICU to SCU. After five weeks in SCU, I opted to bring her home early as I had learnt how to feed her via the feeding tube - and she was breastfeeding! After two weeks at home, the tube was removed. I continued breastfeeding until Lily was 5 and just before she started school. It was our special time together, and although she perhaps didn’t “need” it, it was immense comfort for the both of us; from when I picked her up from childcare of an evening, or as I put her to sleep in bed each night! Perhaps it was the way I coped with what had happened. The struggle of leaving Lily at hospital when I headed home each night, the cuddles I feel I missed, the post-traumatic stress and the worry about every little sniffle or cry… I have had many people look at me really straggly when I tell them that little piece of information, but they have no idea what we went through.

She’s a healthy, happy, kind and clever little lady now! I’m so very proud of her.