Brave Libby

Nothing unusual about that you might think but for the first three months of Libby Funnell's life it was touch and go as to whether she would survive the next day, let alone reach her first birthday.

Born 15 weeks early and weighing just 1lb 7oz, she easily fitted in the palm of her dad Tim's hand. Her feet were little more than the size of a thumb nail and she fought infection after infection, and required ten blood transfusions before she was able to go home.

But the little girl, with the grand name of Libby Joanne Georgia (after her aunt and grandmother) overcame all the odds.

Today she is petite for her age at 16lbs but otherwise is just like any normal healthy one year old and shows none of the symptoms common to premature babies.

Mum Emily Smithers says Libby offers hope to all parents of premature babies that with modern drugs and technology their chances of survival are so much greater.

Snow flurries on Friday brought back memories of the night Libby made her arrival.

"Because it was snowing last year and the hospitals closed, they had to bring everyone in and do an emergency caesarean," said Emily.

She had originally been sent to Portsmouth because it was the only hospital to have a prem cot available but much to the annoyance of her doctor Mr Alaily, she had been sent home although her waters had completely gone.

That night she went into labour and although Hastings Conquest did not have the facilities to deliver babies before 32 weeks, they were left with no choice.

Libby was then transferred to Brighton and the Trevor Mann baby unit where she stayed for three months until she was just under 4lbs.

They faced life and death situations daily. "So many times she was resuscitated in front of us." Emily is a local community nurse but she found it difficult watching her own child fight for her life. "I just had to walk away and leave intensive care and stand in the corridor. It was absolutely horrific."

"It all changed so quickly," said Tim. One day Libby put on an ounce, only to lose two the next.

Emily continued to express milk off for Libby which was intravenously fed to her and they never missed a day's visit.

"If we hadn't had savings to rely on and the support of family and friends, I don't know how we would have coped."

Libby was given so many different antibiotics to combat infection that as a last resort they agreed for her to take part in a worldwide research trial of immunoglobulin therapy for suspected or proven neonatal sepsis.

Whether Libby had the trial drug or a placebo, they will not know for another year but two days later, she was better and off the ventilator.

"They were so wonderful at the Trevor Mann baby unit," said Emily. "Doctors, nurses, even the receptionists were so fantastic. They seemed to know when you were not quite yourself."

Although Emily sailed through her first pregnancy and has a 16 year old son Zak to prove it, Libby was not the first time she had gone through the heartache of a premature baby.

The year before she had lost Mia who was born 17 weeks early but when she fell pregnant again, was told "lightning doesn't strike twice" and the pregnancy seemed to be progressing well."I think we just 'cook' them early," she said cuddling her daughter on her birthday.

The family have just moved home into St David's Avenue and were planning a joint celebration with Tim's father Michael who had his 60th birthday on Saturday.

Pictured: Special little princess Libby Funnell at one year old.

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