37-year-old Victoria Bradley had little hopes for having a child with her partner, 46-year-old Paul Curran. Doctors had told her that medical problems with her ovaries would keep her from ever having children in her life.
So when Bradley and Curran suddenly discovered that Bradley was pregnant, they were stunned – but also thrilled at the prospect to start a family together.
The pregnancy began smoothly. It was only when Bradley began to experience persistent back and stomach pains after her 24th week of pregnancy did she begin to be concerned.
After two days in the hospital, doctors gave her the news: she was going into labor.
There was no way to keep Bradley’s daughter, Francesca, from coming. Francesca was born via natural birth, weighing just 1 pound, 6 ounces. Francesca’s feet were the size of pennies, and doctors had no idea if she would survive.
It took 11 full minutes for doctors to coax Francesca into taking her first breath, and even though this was successful, her health was still incredibly unstable.
Bradley was allowed to see her little girl for about three hours, before Francesca was whisked away into intensive care for several weeks.
The news was touch and go. Francesca contracted meningitis, sepsis, and suffered two collapsed lungs.
But after nine months of struggling, doctors have declared the little girl strong enough to return home. Bradley couldn’t be more grateful, and is not taking any moment of time she has with her daughter for granted.
In the UK, where Bradley and Curran live, the abortion cut-off date is set at the 24th week of pregnancy. Infants born before then have very low chances of surviving birth, but those born at 24 weeks or later have a much higher chance.
If Francesca had been born just two days earlier, the doctors wouldn’t have tried so hard to bring her to full health.
Francesca Bradley-Curran is truly a miracle baby.
