Meet Millie, the baby who wasn't expected to survive... (From Bournemouth Echo)

Meet Millie, the baby who wasn't expected to survive...

9:10am Wednesday 17th February 2010 in

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A COUPLE who were advised to abort their unborn baby because she stood no chance of surviving will be celebrating her second birthday next week.

Millie Carey was diagnosed with a rare chromosomal disorder called Edwards 18 Syndrome when she was still in mother Tina-Maria’s womb.

“We were told it wasn’t good news at all. I was advised to have a termination,” recalled Mrs Carey, 39. “We were told we would be very lucky if the baby was alive when it was born, and if it did live, we could only be looking at minutes or hours.

“At 36 weeks, they wanted to put a needle through to her heart so I would give birth to a dead baby. It’s not something you expect to hear.”

Mrs Carey was getting ready to go home from Poole Hospital when she went into labour naturally and gave birth to 4lb 6oz Millie.

Four days later, she and her husband Mick, 41, took their new baby home to an uncertain future.

Doctors warned the Careys that Millie’s development would be affected and that her brain could just “switch off” at any time. She has stopped breathing several times and had to be revived with oxygen, but she continues to defy the odds.

Machine operator Mr Carey gave up work to help care for her at the family’s home in Kinson. He stays awake every night to watch over Millie, who is fed through a tube every three hours.

Despite the strain of being 24/7 carers, the couple have no doubt they were right to give Millie the chance to live. “She brings great joy to our family. She is a miracle child,” said Mrs Carey.