Born sixteen weeks early and just over 1lb, Adaira Tanner was given just a 30% chance of survival.
Even if she was lucky and lived, doctors revealed that she'd likely be blind, have epilepsy, cerebral palsy and other life-threatening conditions. The outlook for the child was so bleak that doctors asked her devastated mum Amber if she wanted them to "fight for her."
"They said 'if you take that option, she will die in your arms.' I couldn't look at the doctor, I was just pouring my eyes out," Amber (25) from Aberdeen told the Daily Record.
Wonderfully, Adaira proved that she was much stronger than anyone thought she was. Just yesterday, the tot celebrated her second birthday, and she's fighting fit. In fact, her health is perfect.
To mark the special occasion, Amber and Adaira are set to visit the neonatal unit at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital where the little girl spent four months fighting for her life.
“She was so tiny, she could have fitted in my hand," Amber said.
"I remember the first time I saw her, her skin was bright red and translucent, she almost looked sunburnt. It took a while for me to touch her because I thought I’d break her."
“She was just like a little baby bird that had fallen out of her nest. Her eyes were still sealed and she was covered in white hair.”
Amber had to wait six weeks before she got to hold her fragile child, and dad Martin had to wait two more to get his first cuddle.
“I asked the doctor what her chances were and he said, ‘I’m going to be honest with you, it’s not looking good because she’s fighting being ventilated. But if I had to, I’d say she has about a 30 per cent chance of pulling through’.
“Her dad was in America for work when I went into labour. I had to get hold of him and tell him to get back as soon as he could. I was panicking because I didn’t know if he’d get to see her. I didn’t know if she would be alive. It was horrible.”
When Amber unexpectedly went into early labour and gave birth to little Adaira, she was shocked to learn that her child could be in for a difficult life.
"I was told that babies born this early can have long-term problems and I was asked if they wanted me to fight for her. But I told them 'do absolutely everything you absolutely can.'"
Just two weeks after her birth, little Adaira suffered two bleeds to her brain, but she survived. As if that wasn't impressive enough, Adaira also survived a collapsed lung, and a bowel condition which remarkably resolved itself.
"She was seven weeks old before I plucked up the courage to change her nappy," said Amber, who's now mum to baby Willow too. "I was so petrified I was going to hurt her or pull out a tube and she'd stop breathing."
Despite her mountains of struggles, little Adaira is now a happy, healthy toddler and is full of energy.
"She's a little miracle - to look at her, you would never know all that she went through. I can't thank the doctors and nurses enough for what they did for her."
