A baby girl who was born prematurely at 25 weeks weighing a tiny 510 grams has defied the odds to celebrate her first birthday.
Little Billie Ava Stevens, from Brisbane, was given just a 30 to 40 per cent chance of survival after she was born on October 5 last year.
Her mother Brodie Soster was holidaying in New Zealand when she started to endure excruciating abdominal pain just two days into her trip.
She initially thought she was suffering a heartburn – but she ended up undergoing an emergency caesarean section after being diagnosed with pre-eclampsia – a potentially dangerous pregnancy complication caused by high blood pressure.
The baby girl spent the first 200 days of her life in a neonatal intensive care unit at a Christchurch hospital – until she was finally allowed home to Queensland.
And against all odds, the 35-year-old doting mother revealed the family recently hosted a birthday party for their baby girl, surrounded by loved ones.
Baby Billie Ava Stevens has defied the odds to celebrate her first birthday with her doting mother Brodie Soster (pictured together)
The girl was given just a 30 to 40 per cent chance of survival after she was born prematurely
‘Celebrating her first birthday was amazing. It really was a celebration of her life in more ways than most would realise,’ Ms Soster told Daily Mail Australia.
‘If you told me a year ago we would be celebrating her first birthday I’m not sure I would believe you. We nearly lost her.
‘Nearly losing your baby is not something any parent should endure. They were certainly our darkest days and there isn’t a moment we don’t think how lucky we really are.’
The young mother and her partner Scott only invited their immediate family members to join them on their daughter’s special day.
‘We didn’t invite friends as Billie still has a weak immune system and we prefer not to expose her to too many people or children apart from her many cousins,’ she said.
And for the first time after 391 days, little Billie has been able to breathe on her own after doctors removed her oxygen tank.
‘Absolute relief and pride was what Scott and I felt once she was off the oxygen,’ Ms Soster said.
‘She had done it just like the doctors all said she eventually would.’
The family recently hosted a birthday party for their baby girl, filled with lots of presents
Against all odds, the 35-year-old and her partner Scott (right) recently hosted a birthday party for their baby daughter, surrounded by loved ones
After spending more than 190 days in hospital, Billie was finally allowed to fly home to Queensland after the brave youngster proved herself to be a fighter.
‘The biggest challenge with Billie since being home has been her feeding,’ she said.
‘She was taking half of a bottle but now refuses any bottles which is why she’s still tube fed. We are working with a speech therapist to get this sorted.’
Since being back in the comfort of their home, Ms Soster said the family have been keeping a close eye on her health.
‘We don’t take her to any crowded places like shopping centers or other kids parties. Family can’t come near her when they are sick,’ she said.
‘I also haven’t returned to work as she shouldn’t be in daycare until at least two. If she gets sick, she will more than likely end up in hospital again as her lungs are still repairing themselves.
‘We have been so lucky it didn’t happen this horrible flu season but that’s also from us being so vigilant.’
After spending more than 190 days in hospital, Billie was finally allowed to fly home to Queensland after the brave youngster proved herself to be a fighter
Since being back at their home, the family have been keeping a close eye on her health
Despite the difficulties in coping with the condition, Ms Soster said her daughter has never failed to make people adore her.
‘Billie is going great. She is working on her eating skills so she can lose the feeding tube. She can sit unassisted and is working on crawling,’ the mother said.
‘It’s pretty hard to put into words what we love about Billie the most. She is the most beautiful, resilient and stubborn person I know and we have the pleasure of calling her our daughter.
‘And you wouldn’t know what she has been through by looking at her. She’s the most easy going and happy baby. Even when she is getting all of her teeth at once.’
The baby girl spent nearly 200 days in ICU after she was bornat 25 weeks weighing 510 grams
Despite the difficulties in coping with the condition, Ms Soster said her daughter has never failed to make people adore her
The story comes more than a year after Ms Soster needed to deliver her baby immediately after she was diagnosed with a rare form of pre-eclampsia.
‘I needed to deliver before it killed us both,’ she previously told Nine News.
Ms Soster spent four days in hospital where she learned her baby daughter had not been growing for at least two weeks.
She was given a dose of steroids in an attempt to give Billie more time on the inside before she had to be delivered by an emergency C-section.
And after nearly 200 days in hospital, little Billie finally went home for the first time.
‘We are very lucky. It could have easily been a different story,’ Ms Soster told Daily Mail Australia.