Beaming, the miracle baby who was born just in time
SHE was so ill when she was born that the chaplain was called and her parents were told to take photos to remember her by.
At just a day old, little Skye Edwards was airlifted 170 miles and put into a druginduced coma to save her life.
Following a complication in the womb, her devastated parents were told if she had arrived three hours later she would have been stillborn.
But now, four months later, Skye is the pride and joy of parents Gemma and Craig – and going from strength to strength.
Mrs Edwards, 33, from Inverness, said: ‘I’ve never been a believer in miracles, but Skye genuinely is a miracle.
‘Within 24 hours of being born she really went downhill; everything was going wrong.
‘She had heart and lung problems. Her blood platelet level was only seven when it is normally between 150 and 450. At anything below 20 there is a danger of bleeding out.
‘Her haemoglobin, which helps distribute oxygen around the body, was also only at 60-odd and you get a transfusion at 80. She was pretty much a goner.’
Skye was born at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, on April 20, weighing 6lb 14oz.
Mrs Edwards said: ‘When she came out she let out a tiny whimper. She was okay at that point but we knew she was struggling. The chaplain was called and we were told to take photos of her. Our family came up from all corners of Scotland to say goodbye.’
Doctors battled for 24 hours to keep her alive before a specialist team from Glasgow flew to Inverness and airlifted Skye to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill.
Skye was kept in a coma for two days and spent a week on a ventilator in intensive care, before she was flown back to Raigmore.
Mrs Edwards turned to social media to help her cope and set up a Justgiving page which raised more than £3,200 for Ronald McDonald House, where she and her husband stayed while Skye was at Yorkhill. Mrs Edwards said: ‘Social media helped me a lot. It made me feel like I was not alone. Now every day we are looking at a miracle.’
The couple received the welcome news that Skye was on the mend two weeks ago, after a sample of her bone marrow showed it was now working as it should.
They are still waiting to hear the result of one final bone marrow test but doctors have said they are confident there will be no l asting health issues.