A mum who was offered four abortions by doctors after her unborn daughter developed TWO deadly conditions has given birth to a healthy “miracle” baby.
Doctors repeatedly warned first-time mum Kimberley James, 24, that her unborn baby would not survive after a 12-week scan showed she had become dangerously swollen.
She was diagnosed with hydrops fetalis, which affects 1,000 pregnancies every year, and the survival rate is just ten per cent.
The scan also revealed she had cystic hygroma which affects one in 8,000 babies and causes defects.
The veterinary nurse was advised “at least three or four times” from different doctors that she should have a termination.
But Kimberley, of Worcester, decided to trust her gut instinct and go ahead with her pregnancy.
After a 13-hour labour, Kimberley and husband Nick, 29, welcomed 7lb 6oz Penelope at Worcestershire Royal Hospital on May 9.
Incredibly, both Penelope’s life-threatening conditions had disappeared and she was given a completely clean bill of health by stunned doctors.
Kimberley said: “Penelope defied all odds and the hydrops disappeared at 16 weeks and the cystic hygroma also disappeared after 20 weeks.
“We are so in love with her and so thankful that we continued with the pregnancy despite the extremely poor prognosis at the start.
“She really is a little miracle.
“The doctors all said it was unheard of for the hydrops to disappear and we still to this day don’t know what caused it or why it went away.
“She is our miracle baby. After she was diagnosed with hydrops I was offered a termination by two doctors but I refused.
“A month later when she had cystic hygroma, I was again told I could abort the baby but I just trusted that she would survive.
“It must have been three or four people I was told, quite forcibly, that a termination was the best option.
“In the end we paid to have private scans and blood tests but we were determined to go ahead with the pregnancy.”
Just 20 per cent of babies diagnosed with hydrops fetalis prior to birth survive to delivery.
The condition causes severe swelling in an unborn infant.
Cystic hygroma is a fluid-filled sac that results from a blockage in the lymphatic system.
Kimberley stayed in hospital for four days before being discharged and is now back home with Nick, a care support worker.
She added: “After the first time we had a scan at 12 weeks at Worcestershire Royal Hospital we were referred to a consultant, which we saw two days later.
“It was then we were offered a termination pretty much the second time we had seen her.
“We said no because it was absolutely not what we wanted to do.
“We asked them why and unfortunately they couldn’t give an answer.
“We thought if they don’t know what it is then we’ll say ‘no’, even if it was a really poor diagnosis.
“We decided to go private and paid for scans and blood tests to check for other things like Down Syndrome and Patau’s syndrome but they all came back negative.
“At 16 weeks we went back to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for a scan and they were gobsmacked the hydrops had gone, which was the reason they had offered the termination.
“They didn’t know how it had disappeared and said it was unheard of.
“It had been there because you could actually see it on the scans and they had seen it in the private clinic as well.
“The cystic hygroma was part of it too and that had completely disappeared after 20 weeks.
“They checked her for it when she was born and she was all fine.
“It is where fluid accumulates and she had a bag of it on her neck in her first scan, but there was nothing there when she was born. It was amazing and crazy.
“The doctors were really, really shocked because they weren’t expecting it to disappear and the consultant couldn’t believe it.
“We had a very rocky start to our pregnancy but had the most wonderful outcome and we couldn’t be more in love with our little girl.
“It was a huge relief when Penelope arrived safe and sound. Due to such a difficult pregnancy there were extra staff in the room.
“It was a very surreal experience to give birth during lockdown.
“I wasn’t allowed visitors whilst I was on the antenatal ward so I couldn’t see my husband until I was moved to the delivery ward, which was four days after being admitted for induction.
“I did feel a little apprehensive about this, however I felt that all the women stuck together and interacted more due to this.
“Everyone had their curtains open and were chatting to one another.
“The staff said that this wouldn’t normally be the case if visitors were allowed as everyone usually keeps themself to themself, so it was refreshing that we were all supporting each other through this bizarre time.
“Despite Covid-19, all staff were so attentive and made us feel that they weren’t rushed in any way and we were their sole focus.”