Baby 'born dead' has been brought back to life after emergency surgery as parents speak out
The parents of a baby 'born dead' have spoken out on the terrible ordeal they endured that saw doctors battling to bring him back to life.
Demi Duffin and Charlie Hayes' newborn, Luca, underwent life-saving emergency surgery following complications during the pregnancy.
The teenager couple were told three months into Demi's term that Luca had gastroschisis – which sees some organs develop outside the body.
In Luca’s case, it involved his bowels, though doctors reassured Demi and Charlie that their son's condition was not severe but at 30 weeks pregnant, Demi was left alarmed after she could not feel Luca moving in her stomach.
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The 17-year-old went to hospital, but was soon discharged.
“They said his bowels were fine and nothing was wrong with him,” Demi explained. “We were told I would be monitored every few weeks at Medway.”
Less than two weeks later, the same happened again, so Demi returned to hospital.
Within an hour, doctors found Luca’s heart rate had flatlined, meaning he needed to be born straight away through an emergency C-section.
Seven weeks premature, Luca was born weighing three pounds and five ounces. He had no heartbeat and immediately underwent life-saving surgery.
Charlie, 19, said: "Seeing him born dead was so hard. It took the doctors around an hour to work on him. It’s the longest hour I've ever been through. But thank God the hospital brought him back to life."
The young couple were later told that if Demi had delayed going to hospital by just 'a couple of hours', Luca would have died.
Luca was rushed to The Royal London Hospital, where he underwent another operation, this time to start putting his bowels back in his body.
The newborn has since had two further surgeries, and has been under strict supervision and on a ventilator to help him breathe since.
He was taken off the ventilator last week, but remains in hospital, being closely monitored by doctors.
Charlie said: “Me and Demi got to hold him the other day and got to do skin-to-skin contact for the first time. That was amazing. Demi said how light he was, but when I held him, I thought he was the heaviest thing I've ever held. It was quite literally like holding my world in my hands. I'll never forget that moment.
“But the doctors have told us not to keep our hopes up, as at any time his condition could worsen. All we can do is keep praying. We don’t know when he will be able to come home. But doctors said it will be a long time.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help support Demi and Charlie during this difficult time.
Callum Jones