A couple who refused to abort their child because she had a rare condition causing her stomach and intestines to move up into her chest have said their ‘brave little fighter’ is thriving at three months old.
Doctors informed parents Holly and Phil, from Cheshire, that their daughter Penny had a ‘congenital diaphragmatic hernia’ at the routine 20-week scan.
Medics said that Penny would have a 50 per cent chance of survival and advised the parents to consider an abortion at 22 weeks.
Decision
But her parents refused, saying “we pulled our chins up”.
Holly said, “we had made the decision we were going to carry on so we couldn’t just mope about for the next six months”.
Holly was induced in February – Penny was born with only half a working lung and unable to breathe.
Little fighter
She then had an operation to move her stomach and intestines to the correct place, and her lungs started working for themselves.
Holly said, “she was a little fighter and after 28 days in hospital she came home”.
“Looking at her now smiling at me and being so happy it’s hard to believe what she has been through.
Amazing
“She’s the bravest person we know”.
Holly and Phil have now released photographs of their daughter in hospital to raise awareness of her condition.
Holly said: “She is thriving, she’s put on weight and she’s doing amazing.”
Currently in Great Britain, abortions can carried out up to full-term if tests show the child may be disabled.