Thriving, 1lb baby born at 23 weeks
BORN prematurely weighing just 1lb 1oz and barely bigger than his mother’s hand, Flynn Parry had little chance of survival.
After arriving four months early and a week before the legal limit for abortion, he suffered serious medical problems and had to spend 18 weeks in hospital.
But Flynn fought hard for his life and came through the ordeal, becoming one of Britain’s youngest premature babies to survive. Now a lively toddler, he ‘runs rings’ around parents Hoda Ali and Owen Parry.
Miss Ali, 36, who went into labour unexpectedly 23 weeks into her pregnancy, said Flynn was just over half the size of the average newborn when he was born last year – 11 inches long compared to 20 inches.
His parents were told he had a slim chance of surviving even a day. Miss Ali said: ‘Doctors said only one in six babies survived the night at his age. Even the one that lived only had a 50 per cent chance of surviving any further.’
Flynn had to be swaddled in bubble wrap after birth to recreate the warm protection of his mother’s womb and had to be put on a ventilator to help him breathe.
He then battled sepsis – potentially deadly blood poisoning – and suffered two brain bleeds.
He also developed a condition common among premature babies called retinopathy of prematurity, where the retinas detach from the back of the eye. At just 13 weeks he had laser surgery on his eyes. He also underwent other gruelling operations including one to remove a hernia at 17 weeks.
Miss Ali, who had to wait a week before she could even hold her son, said he ‘fought every day’, adding: ‘A doctor told me, “He’s a fighter, all premature babies are”. It was true.
‘I didn’t connect to him for about ten days after he arrived, though. He was just so, so small. I thought he looked like an alien or a baby bird.’ But she said the moment she could finally cuddle him was ‘wonderful’. Miss Ali, a customer serv- ices executive, also told how her waters broke as she arrived at an amateur dramatics rehearsal just days after returning from a trip to the Philippines with Mr Parry. She was taken to University Col- lege London Hospital and given drugs to try to halt labour. But she gave birth on February 13 last year after just 30 minutes.
Following his incredible battle for life, Flynn, who was originally due on June 6, was finally allowed home from hospital on June 16 – still small, but healthy. Miss Ali said it’s still not clear why she gave birth so early, but added: ‘Walking out of hospital, we were so proud of our boy and everything he’d battled. He really is amazing.’ Miss Ali and Mr Parry, a 25-yearold marketing executive, who live in Willesden Green in north-west London, said their son now loves trains, pizza and climbing, and has not experienced any developmental delays. The only consequence of his premature birth has been some damage to his eyes, which may mean he needs glasses. Miss Ali added: ‘It’s amazing to see him now. He’s come so, so far.’ Babies born before 28 weeks are at risk of conditions including heart problems, brain bleeds, cerebral palsy, and sight and hearing problems. Those born before 22 weeks are thought to have almost no chance of survival because their lungs, heart and brain are not sufficiently developed. The world’s youngest premature babies to survive are James Elgin Gill, born in Canada in 1987, and Frieda Mangold, born in Germany in 2012, both at 21 weeks.
‘It’s amazing to see him now’