Picture Courtesy Mark Stewart/Herald Sun
For parents Alyson Yeoell and Giovanni Gentiluomo it was the Christmas present they dreamt of the most.
Their baby boy Thomas was born prematurely at 32 weeks on Sunday, 10 November 2024 at Epworth Freemasons. Weighing just 1.7kg – almost half the size of other babies in our Special Care Nursery – tiny Thomas had to spend 27 days in special care.
Finally, just days before Christmas, Alyson and Giovanni were able to take Thomas home.
"The little guy must not have wanted us to have a party without him," Alyson told the Herald Sun where their story featured on the front page.
"It was very emotional; it's really hard seeing him with the CPAP machine and under the lights. They're so tiny and fragile.''
After a four year journey with IVF, Alyson and her partner are finding life with Thomas "surreal" after trying for so long.
"He's a little miracle. He has no idea what we've been through to get him here," she said.
"He's pulled through really well, he's doing everything before his time, he's come leaps and bounds."
Epworth Freemasons obstetrician Dr Owen Stock, who cared for Alyson and Thomas, said premature arrivals can be a surprise to parents with around 1 in 15 women delivering their baby between 32-36 weeks.
"The reasons for preterm birth are complex but many babies born preterm occur after a woman's water break prior to labour. For 40 per cent of women who have a preterm birth this is the reason," Dr Stock told the Herald Sun.
"Christmas is a really important time for many families. We do our utmost to try and reunite families for this special celebration," he said.
