Little miracle: Baby Megan is home after 118-day fight to live (From Bournemouth Echo)

Little miracle: Baby Megan is home after 118-day fight to live

11:00am Monday 25th February 2013 in News By Julie Magee

BORN FIGHTER: Laura and Graham Smith with their daughter Megan

‘LITTLE miracle’ Megan Smith’s short life has been a constant battle since she was born 13 weeks premature at Poole hospital.

Megan entered the world on October 9 last year, weighing just 2lb 5oz, but her weight dropped to less than a bag of sugar.

She spent 110 days in Poole hospital and eight days in Portsmouth hospital after developing an infection and being put on a ventilator.

Just before Christmas Megan caught a chesty cold and needed help with her breathing again.

But she defied the odds and rallied again, finally coming home to Henbury Close, Canford Heath, a fortnight ago.

Her relieved mum Laura, 29, said: “We call Megan our little miracle. She was so small it was touch and go at one stage.

“But she is a real fighter. Megan has got chronic lung disease but we’ve been told she will grow out of that by the time she is two. She is still on oxygen during the night and when we take her out.”

Laura and Megan’s father Graham, 29, are now counting their blessings and are determined to raise funds for a cause close to their hearts, Poole hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.

“The staff were incredible, from the doctors and nurses to the consultants,” said Laura.

“We couldn’t have asked for Megan to receive better care.”

“Eventually bringing her home after 118 days was very scary but also a great relief. Until then Graham and I had spent around 12 hours a day with Megan at the hospital.”

The grateful couple, who are hoping to raise £25,000, are organising a fundraising charity ball at the Springfield hotel in Wareham on May 25.

On June 14 water company manager Graham, Laura’s dad Mark Brown, her brother Nicholas Brown and family friends Ian Galton and John Hudson will embark on a five-day challenge involving scaling ten Scottish mountains more than 3,000ft high.

 If you would like to support the couple visit justgiving.com/Laura-Smith43