Meet the incredible South Shields girl who fought to survive after being born 16 weeks early

Doctors predicted that little Charlotte Smith wouldn’t live for more than a few hours after being born 23 weeks prematurely on April 8, 2019, weighing just 1lb 3oz.

Devastated parents Adele, 38, and Jonathan Smith, 37, made sure their daughter was christened that night as they prepared to say goodbye, but Charlotte proved herself to be a little fighter and as night turned into day she carried on breathing.

Mum Adele said: “Charlotte was admitted to NICU and was not expected to live for very long.

"We took things hour by hour, but soon days were passing and then weeks.”

The tiny tot continued to battle and despite being resuscitated and undergoing intensive treatment, at 100 days old she was allowed home for the first time.

During her treatment at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, her parents were given a free place to stay at The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘Home from Home’ Crawford House.

Now the family from Biddick Hall have praised the charity for keeping them by their baby’s hospital bedside and hope to raise awareness of its work during Prematurity Awareness Month.

The charity gives more than 600 families with a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) a free place to stay, minutes from their child’s bedside.

Adele said: “Being so close to the hospital at Crawford House meant we could be by Charlotte’s side at any time, day or night.

"Once we were called to the ward four times in the space of a few hours as Charlotte had stopped breathing and needed resuscitating.

"It would have been truly awful trying to get to her hospital bedside from home.”

Charlotte has come a long way since coming home from hospital on oxygen. Now able to breathe independently, Charlotte has even started walking.

Mum Adele said: “We will always remember the fight she put up at the start of her life and the help we received from The Sick Children’s Trust which enabled us to be there with her throughout that fight.

"It was such a relief and we can’t thank the charity enough for that.”

The Sick Children’s Trust is appealing for donations so that it can continue to to support families.

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