Mia was such a fighter ... we kept calling her a warrior
Devastated couple on tragedy of losing their four-month old baby girl
A heartbroken family who tragically lost their fourmonth-old baby girl have praised amazing medical teams for doing ‘everything they could’ to save her.
Grieving parents Scott McPike, 25, and Laura Ferrans, 25, have thanked doctors and nurses at two children’s hospitals everyday for their princess.
Tiny Mia McPike died on Tuesday, May 17 surrounded by her family after a brave fight against a rare genetic disorder that led to deformities with her heart, lungs and brain.
Now the devastated couple have paid tribute to their superstar.
Scott said: “Mia was such a fighter, we kept calling her a warrior. She was our superstar.
“To fight like she did was incredible. “She showed so much strength and courage, more than I’ll ever have in my life.”
New parents Scott and Laura say they were ‘not expecting’ their baby girl to be born seriously ill after being told she might have growth issues.
But when Mia was born on January 23 at Crosshouse Hospital, they were left horrified as their child lay silent before a team of 15 nurses had to run into the room.
Mia, who was struggling to breathe, was rushed to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow after medics scrambled to place a breathing tube in to keep her alive.
Scott said: “Laura was told she was a small grower after certain scans, we expected her to be small - but that was nothing compared to what ended up happening.
“When Mia was born she was having difficulty breathing.
“I was waiting on Mia moving or making a noise - Laura was in an awful mess.
“There was no response and then about 15 nurses and doctors all ran in, and they had to put a breathing tube in.”
Mia spent weeks in the unit in Glasgow with machines supporting her breathing.
Tests revealed that she had a rare condition called coffin-siris syndrome with medics telling the stunned parents it was the first case they had come across in Glasgow.
Scott added: “We thought that we’d maybe be in for a few days but we never expected anything like this.
“Mia had a curved spine, two left sided lungs, two left chambers in her heart and two halves of her brain weren’t fully joined up.
“Our lives changed overnight. We haven’t been home since the day she was born.”
Around eight weeks later Mia returned to Crosshouse where she improved and was taken off oxygen with medics hoping she could finally go home.
But her condition rapidly deteriorated as she struggled to fight off multiple infections caused by her condition.
Scott, of New Cumnock, said: “Her heart rate had really slowed down and the doctor said she was at the stage before cardiac arrest.
“That was Mia giving up - the infection had got a grip of her.
“She fought with everything she had for 16 weeks, we never left her side the whole time. All our family were there to support us.
“We kept saying that we wish we could go forward just to see how she was.
“But last Tuesday all we wanted to do was turn the clock back and do it all again.
“We’d do it all again, just to have her.” An online fundraiser has been set up for the Neonatal Unit RHC Glasgow in memory of Mia. The Go Fund Me page has already exceeded its target of £500 with donations pouring in from across Ayrshire.
Scott added: “We must have seen 80 different nurses and 20 different doctors - they did everything they could for her.
“Mia was only there for four months but she touched every one of them.
“They were like family to us and they were desperate, like we were, to get Mia home.”
Scott, who runs a football podcast SM Media, has thanked a host of local clubs who have sent messages of support.
He added: “A lot of people have been really nice; a lot have sent messages, people you don’t even know.
“It has been a real support to us.” You can donate to the fundraiser in memory of Mia at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-mia-cherylferrans-mcpike