A first-time mum who gave birth to her son 13 weeks early while on holiday in Queensland has thanked the medical team at South Brisbane's Mater Mothers' Hospital for saving their lives.
Victorian couple Taylah, 28, and husband Josh Davis, 30, were holidaying at the Sunshine Coast with family when Mrs Davis' waters broke unexpectedly at just 26 weeks into her pregnancy.
Now two years on, Mrs Davis is sharing her story on World Prematurity Day (17 November), praising the medical teams who came together to save her son Edward (Eddie) Davis who weighed just over 1kg at birth.
Being 1,600km away from home was difficult for Mrs Davis, however she knew Eddie was in the "best place" to care for him at the time.
"I was rushed into theatre, with my eyes closed most of the time, and Eddie was born, however he wasn't breathing," Mrs Davis, from Maffra, said.
"The staff at Mater Mothers' did everything they could to keep Eddie alive – they performed CPR for 37 minutes and with the assistance of breathing equipment, Eddie was taken to the Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) for a chance at life."
"It was seven days before I held my fragile little boy."
Mrs Davis said what was supposed to be their last family holiday before their newborn arrived had turned into a distressing time.
"It was going to be a great day on the Sunshine Coast, the second last day of our holiday," Mrs Davis said.
"However, things quickly took a turn when I had pain in my pelvis at 6.30am As I went to the bathroom, my waters spontaneously broke.
"I was taken to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital via an ambulance, and upon assessment, was transferred to Mater Mothers' a few hours later with a midwife escort."
Mrs Davis described the following 24 hours as a "whirlwind".
"Eddie was my first pregnancy, and I had no complications until my waters broke," Mrs Davis said.
The team at Mater Mothers' monitored Mrs Davis' unborn baby and stopped her from bleeding and having contractions.
She was transferred to the maternity ward where she stayed for almost a week before doctors made the decision to deliver baby Edward (Eddie) via an emergency caesarean section on 30 September 2022.
"Josh and I visited Eddie in the NCCU every day and were briefed by Eddie's medical team every morning about his condition," Mrs Davis said.
"While it was hard leaving my baby with people I didn't know, I always trusted they would do the best they could to give him the best chance at life.
"We cannot express enough gratitude to the multidisciplinary team for their tireless fight to save Eddie's life.
"The team never lost hope while we were in the operating room."
Despite Eddie's rocky start to life, he has fought hard and gone home healthy with a few medical complications from his early arrival, including some minor brain bleeds and Retinopathy of Prematurity (an eye disease that can occur in babies born premature), which is resolving.
He also required oxygen at home for three months.
Mrs Davis, who is now expecting her second child in April, said Eddie spent 68 days at Mater Mothers' Hospital before being transferred to Monash Childrens Hospital in Melbourne where he stayed for almost another month.
Eddie now tips the scales at 11kg, and his parents have described their son as a "true fighter".
"It's clear now why Eddie has pulled through - his determination and stubbornness is remarkable," Mr Davis said.
"He's a tough little guy who has faced so much but possesses an infectious zest for life.
"His resilience is undeniable, and it's a lesson we've all learned from him – he is our little miracle!"
Mater Director of Neonatology Dr Pita Birch said over 1,800 sick and premature babies like Eddie are cared for in the NCCU each year.
"It is amazing to hear Eddie is now doing well and ready take on his new role as a big brother," Dr Birch said.
