A baby born with a life-threatening condition has spent their first Christmas at home after spending Boxing Day last year in a hospice where she was sent to die before having open-heart surgery in a last-minute dash to save her life.
Kayley Newbold, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, and Gary Clark were told Honey-Rose might only have hours to live after she was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition in the womb.
But as they sat by her bedside in a hospice holding her tiny hands, the little tot refused to fade away and her parents begged for a second chance.
She was rushed to hospital on Christmas Eve 2016 for overnight tests and medics confirmed on December 25 that they’d perform an operation the next day.
Honey-Rose Newbold was sent to a hospice to die last year but now she’s spending her first Christmas at home
Kayley Newbold (pictured), from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, and Gary Clark were told she only had hours to live after being born with a life-threatening condition
The tot endured eight-hour open heart surgery for her hypoplastic left heart syndrome and miraculously pulled through.
Now she’s spending her first Christmas at home – just a year after she was condemned to an early death.
Kayley, 31, from Grimsby said: ‘It’s magical – I’m over the moon. I’m so happy but I feel really emotional. I cried a lot – happy tears too.
‘I didn’t think we would have her with us this year. Having all my children here for Christmas was amazing – last year I was away from them for four weeks.’
During her pregnancy, Kayley was warned that the foetus was seriously ill, and given the option of terminating the pregnancy.
But they wanted to fight to the end, and made the brave call to go ahead with the birth, and she arrived on December 19, 2016 at Leeds Royal Infirmary.
But to Kayley and Gary’s despair doctors decided that it was too risky to operate when she was born, condemning their daughter to an early death.
Mother-of-four Kayley said: ‘When she was inside me she was safer – I didn’t want her to ever come out.
Little Honey-Rose was born on December 19 at Leeds Royal Infirmary and doctors initially decided it was too risky to operate
The tot spent Boxing Day last year enduring eight hours of open-heart surgery
‘I knew she was really poorly and was told that when she was born she would be blue and gasping for air.
‘But she came out pink and looking healthy. I got a quick cuddle and they they took her away for a heart scan and we were told it wasn’t good, and to enjoy the time we had.’
Heartbroken Kayley and her partner Gary, 34, were told it was unlikely that Honey-Rose would survive an operation, and was unlikely to make it through the night.
Two days later she was taken to a hospice in Grimsby and the couple sat by her bedside.
Kayley said: ‘She was still alive four days later even though we were told she wouldn’t survive the night.
‘Gary said to me “Why don’t we get a second opinion?”
In a last-ditch attempt to save their daughter’s life, Kayley and Gary left their children Maci, 12, Charlie, eight, and Alfie, six, in the care of their grandmother and travelled up to a specialist hospital in Leeds.
Honey Rose was taken in an ambulance and a consultant assessed her and performed tests throughout the night.
On Christmas Day her parents were given the news they had been waiting for – that it could go ahead.
But medics warned the tiny tot’s life would hang in the balance after the eight-hour operation.
Her parents have been told she might not live into adulthood as her heart problems include right atrial isomerism and pulmonary atresia
Kayley said: ‘We were told she won’t walk and she won’t go to school, but she’s already started walking’
‘We were told they would operate on Boxing Day,’ Kayley said. ‘It was awful… It seemed to go on forever.’
Although the operation was successful, Honey-Rose’s health problems include right atrial isomerism and pulmonary atresia.
Her parents have been told she might not live into adulthood.
But this year the family celebrated a Christmas they did not expect to have, with all four children at home and lots of presents wrapped for Honey Rose under the tree.
She was given a doll and a doll’s pram, and Peppa Pig toys to unwrap.
‘We went all out this year,’ Kayley said. ‘She’s doing amazingly. She had surgery in September but she’s such a happy baby.
‘We were told she won’t walk and she won’t go to school, but she’s already started walking.
‘Her siblings idolise her and she loves them too.’
Security guard Gary said: ‘Some days we both feel like crying and some days are okay. When we look at her she’s so beautiful and we are just trying to enjoy her.
‘It’s always in the back on my mind but we don’t want to think about it.
‘We are looking forward to settling down into family life because we never thought that this day would come. We will just take each day as it comes now.’
Security guard Gary said: ‘Some days we both feel like crying and some days are okay. When we look at her she’s so beautiful and we are just trying to enjoy her’