Little Payden was born at just 25 weeks weighing only 680g at the Life St George’s Hospital in Port Elizabeth.
Doctors didn’t think she would make it – she is 6 years old now! She is such a little fighter!
Today Payden is a healthy, energetic little girl. She loves her friends and all things that little girls love to do, she is now in Grade 0 in Grahamstown. Sandra Doyle (38) was left alone with the nurses after the doctor on duty told her that their was no way her baby was going to survive and the nurses helped her with the birth.
Sandra held her baby for only a very short amount of time before nurses took her away.
Sandra felt an array of emotions – she did not know if her daughter was still alive, and no one could tell her.
“We all expected the worst as I was told she wasn’t going to make it,” she says.
Three hours later Sandra was given the best news: Payden was alive and breathing on her own. She was so surprised and so happy! Little Payden spent three months in hospital and her mom did not leave her side.
Payden had to be fed through tubes in her nose. Sandra was expressing to provide milk for her
“As sad and heartbreaking as it was to see my daughter so small and fragile every day, I knew she would be okay.”
Because of stress Sandra began to have trouble producing milk and Payden had to be fed with donor milk.
But through it all Sandra remained positive.
“During this period she grew stronger and stronger, gaining weight each day. The only thing that kept me going each day was knowing that I was going to see my baby.”
Payden does have a few health problems now, but nothing too serious.
“When she gets a cold or flu her body is not as strong as it should be to fight viruses. It takes her a bit longer to recover.”
Payden is today full of life, doing well at school and the apple of her mother’s eye.
“By looking at her you’d never guess this bright, smiley, happy child was a premature baby.”
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens.
