A “miracle” baby born at 24 weeks’ gestation with feet the size of a penny has defied doctors who said she’d never walk or talk. The 5-year-old is now in primary school. Francesca Bradley-Curran was born 48 hours after the abortion limit, where doctors would have legally deemed her not “viable” to save. Weighing just 1 pound 6 ounces (approx. 0.62 kg), doctors warned her mother, Victoria Bradley, 41, and dad Paul Curran, 51, that even if she did survive, she would never walk or talk properly. However, the little schoolgirl from Liverpool, Merseyside, England, has continued to defy all odds.
Francesca Bradley-Curran was born 48 hours after doctors would have legally deemed her not ‘viable’ to save – but the schoolgirl from Liverpool, has continued to defy all odds and started her first year of primary school. Started her first year of school last September, dressed two years older than her age group and is looking forward to her 5th birthday this April.
She was a never-ending ball of energy from the time she opened her eyes, according to Victoria “It’s absurd to think that even if she lived, the doctors warned us that she would never walk or talk, but now we can’t even get her to sit still or stop talking”.
Francesca is dressed between the ages of 6 and 8 and has perfect eyesight, in contrast to some mothers who have premature babies whose children are still very young. Before being released, she had to fight off meningitis, pneumonia, three episodes of sepsis, two collapsed lungs, acute renal injury, 16 blood transfusions, and laser eye surgery.
Every day I look at her and think she is my walking, talking miracle. In 2017 after her parents took a picture of a coin next to her foot, which is about the size of a 17-millimeter coin.
In order to explain to Francesca why she was so unique, Victoria started showing her images and videos of herself as a newborn. ccording to the 37-year-old housing association employee, nurses even gave her souvenirs of the young girl’s hand and foot prints because nobody believed she would survive.
Even I have trouble recalling how little she is. I went back and reviewed the pictures and videos, and the picture of the coin really let the size of it sink in. It was a scary period, and when I think back, I still get upset as I consider “how I coped and got over it.”
