IT all happened so fast. In October last year, Werribee Tigers footballer Leigh Harding and his wife Stacey were eagerly anticipating the birth of their first child.
Everything was going to plan.
As the young expectant mother went in for a check-up, she didn’t realise she would soon be fighting not only to save her daughter’s life, but her own.
Stacey became dangerously ill with pre-eclampsia — or seriously high blood pressure, a condition which can be fatal — and required an urgent caesarean to avoid further complications.
“She was put into an ambulance and rushed to emergency,” Harding said.
“Fortunately the doctors acted so quickly.”
Nothing could have prepared the couple for the emotional rollercoaster they’ve ridden for the past 12 months.
Their daughter, Milla, entered the world 13 weeks early at a mere 638 grams.
For an agonising 92 days, the couple nervously kept vigil as their daughter battled for survival.
“In those initial couple of months, it could have gone either way,” Harding said.
“Being our first child, everything was an unknown for us. Having a fragile baby was a difficult and stressful time for us and our family.”
Although still only 5.3 kilograms — the weight of some newborns — Milla has gone from strength to strength and, on October 12, will celebrate her first birthday.
“She’s come a long way. She’s now reaching all of her developmental goals,” Harding said.
To mark the start of International Premmie Month in November, the Life’s Little Treasures Foundation, which supports the families of sick and premature babies, will stage a Walk for Prems at Albert Park Lake on October 28.
Harding said they would not have made it through their harrowing ordeal without the support of staff at the Monash Medical Centre and volunteers from Life’s Little Treasures.
Foundation president Parool Shah said about 8 per cent or 24,500 Australian mothers delivered premature babies each year. “Providing emotional support and information to parents is the core of what Life’s Little Treasures and our volunteers do. It’s through events such as the Walk for Prems that we generate funds to continue our valuable work,” she said.
For details on the walk or to make a donation, visit lifeslittletreasures.org.au.
