Great Britain
Premature baby is born after 24 weeks – doctors have previously declared it almost dead
Doctors tell Britain’s Hannah Cole they can’t find a heartbeat in her unborn baby – but she insists on a further test
© Imago / Werner Krüper
For 27-year-old Brit Hannah Cole, her son Oakley is a true Christmas miracle. The premature baby was pronounced dead in the womb by doctors. However, the mother insists on a final examination.
This article first appeared on RTL.de
After Hannah Cole’s waters ruptured prematurely last October at 20 weeks pregnant, she was falsely told at the hospital that her baby’s heart had stopped beating. But the mother’s gut feeling says: That just can’t be. Hannah Cole is persistent and asks the doctors for a very last ultrasound, in which they are supposed to check again whether there really are no more heart sounds. The shock is great when it turns out that your baby is still alive.
The unborn child then remains in the mother’s womb for another four weeks until little Oakley Cole-Fowler is finally born on October 30, 2022 in the 24th week of pregnancy. But the extremely premature baby weighs only 780 grams and continues to fight for survival even after it is born.
Preemie suffers from necrotizing enterocolitis
Doctors diagnose Oakley with necrotizing enterocolitis — a bowel disease that causes tissue to become inflamed and die. Just eight days after his birth, Oakley needed surgery. Then the doctors put one on him ostomy bag which regulates its digestion. “It was a very stressful time and ups and downs of emotions,” mother Hannah recalled in an interview with the “Daily Mail”. “Right now I’m feeling a bit lost because he’s not home.”
But slowly the tide seems to be turning for the little fighter. Oakley no longer needs to be artificially ventilated and is also showing a lot of edifying progress, his mother is happy to say. “He’s my Christmas miracle,” said the Brit in the “Daily Mail” interview. “I can’t wait for him to come home and we can be a normal family.”
hospital apologizes
After Hannah Cole complained about the treatment she received while pregnant with Oakley, the NHS Foundation Trust hospital has released an apology. “On behalf of the Trust, I would like to sincerely apologize for the concern and anxiety that Ms. Cole’s treatment and care has caused her during her current pregnancy,” Midwifery Director Sarah Hollins said in a statement to the Daily Mail.
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A spokesman for the hospital also confirmed, according to the British magazine, that there had been an investigation into the events in October, which has now been completed. The mother was informed of the results of the investigation.