Meet the ‘hero’ premature baby who was so tiny he was dwarfed by his dad’s WATCH.
Tiny Vinnie O’Rourke arrived at just 24 weeks in December 2019 weighing just over 1lb and doctors gave him less than a 50/50 chance of survival.
But the incredible boy, now four months – who was born so early that his skin was transparent and his feet were the size of a 50p coin – is now ‘loving life’ out of hospital and being looked after by his doting family.
Although after his birth, his parents, Katie Stanley, 30, and Jonathan O’Rourke, 28, a self-employed blind fitter, had been told to prepare for the worst after tests revealed Vinnie also had a hole in his heart.
But after more than 14 weeks in two hospitals – St James Hospital and Leeds Royal Infirmary, both in Leeds, West Yorkshire – the little lad made a miraculous recovery and was discharged.
He is now much bigger than his dad’s watch and is thriving at home in Ormondthorpe, Leeds.
Katie, a former claims advisor, said: ”He really is just such a hero to us.
“The amount we’ve been through with him is amazing and to now have him home, it’s just the best feeling in the world.
Medics hoped that they could delay the birth in order to give the baby a better chance of survival, but when Katie developed sepsis they were forced to induce labour to save her life.
”Because I had a fever and was getting really sick they decided that to save my life they’d need to induce labour,” she said.
”I knew it was too early for him to be born, I knew how dangerous it was but tried to stay as positive as possible.
”They gave me lots of injections to help strengthen his lungs and brain.’’
Miracle baby Vinnie was born at 11.44am on 6th December 2019 weighing just 1lb 10oz.
The newborn was whisked away while Katie was rushed into emergency surgery due to complications with her placenta.
The new mum said: ”They put him in a clear plastic bag with a little hat on to keep him warm and then he was gone.
”Jonathan went with Vinnie and I was rushed to surgery as my placenta wouldn’t come out. I was bleeding loads and thought that might be the last time I ever saw them both.
”When I saw him properly two days later, he didn’t look at all like a normal baby as his skin was sticky and see through but I still loved him so much.’’
At just one-day-old, Vinnie was diagnosed with two bleeds on his brain and a hole in his heart.
The family were offered a medical trial to address his heart issues, which they accepted.
It wasn’t until two weeks later that the doting parents were finally able to hold him for skin-on-skin contact.
Katie said: ”We knew he was a fighter even then and that we couldn’t give up on him.
“He was a hero in our eyes from day one.
“We had to decide about the medical trial when he was just one day old, he’s been on the medication ever since, which seems to have really helped.
”Although he might be on the placebo so we won’t know for a while longer.
”Thankfully the brain bleeds seemed to disappear over time too. That was a huge relief.
”I was really struggling to express milk so we used donor milk as breast milk is so much better than formula, especially for premature babies.
”We felt so grateful to the amazing mums that had donated it.
”After months on ventilators and breathing machines Vinnie was finally weaned off the help and managed to breathe on his own.
”This was all trial and error and we did have a few scares where he had to be resuscitated but eventually we got there.”
As he became stronger, little Vinne was transferred to St James Hospital where he even progressed into sleeping in a normal cot and learnt how to feed from a bottle.
On 4th March 2020 the family finally left the hospital to go home.
Katie said: ”He’s not on any oxygen at all now.
”And he feeds normally without any help or tubes.
”It’s amazing how far he’s come, we never really thought we’d be able to bring him home.
‘’He is a tiny hero to come through it all and he’s such a happy, sweet baby.
”It’s lovely to be home with him.
”We’ve got so much time to talk to him and be with him all day everyday and just be his parents.
”Even just being able to put a little outfit on him feels so special.
”His feet are no longer 50p size either and he’s much bigger than his dad’s watch now.
“He’s getting chunkier by the day and now weighs 6lbs 12oz.
”We’re so proud of how far he’s come, he’s a hero in our eyes.”