hey my name is claire i have a 4 year old daughter demi-lee who was born at 26wks and weighed 1lb 9oz. she was very small and her lungs were very under developed as the hospital never had enough time to give me steroids.

demi-lee struggled on throughout infection after infection and had 2 have open heart surgery at just 2lb. however she survived and went on 2 have more problems she had severe reflux disease and had 2 further holes in her heart and she also needed to have a tracheostomy (a tube inserted straight into the windpipe) as her windpipe had been so badly scarred by the ventilator tube it had closed off.

she also had to have a feeding tube inserted directly into her tummy as she couldn't eat proper;y because of the tracheostomy. she had these tubes for 3 years before she went for an operation last year which wonderfully changed her life for the better.

surgeons at yorkhill hospital, glasgow, took a piece of cartilage from her ribs and grafted it into her windpipe where it was closed to open up her airway and be able to rid the tracheostomy. she made a miraculous recovery and was finally able to make sound for the first time as the trache sat on her vocal chords so she was unable to make a sound or speak.

now a year later she is a healthy little girl and talks for scotland. you would never know looking at her what she has been through in her life shes is a little miracle. im now pregnant with my second child so fingers crossed all goes ok this time and demi is looking forward to being a big sister. if anyone would like to talk just let me know. x

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