An odds-defying baby boy who weighed only 1lb 10oz at birth is set for his first taste of Christmas dinner after having a feeding tube removed just ahead of the festive season.
Doctors feared Iarla Ace would not survive long when he was born prematurely at 25 weeks in the Royal Maternity Hospital in Belfast last October.
But he has since confounded expectations to overcome multiple serious health issues, including a brain haemorrhage shortly after birth.
Iarla has undergone five operations and spent a total of 127 days in hospital before finally being discharged to the family home in Castlecaulfield near Dungannon, Co Tyrone, in February this year.
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His mother Lindsay, father Matthew and four-year-old big sister Aine are now looking forward to spending their first Christmas in the house with the resilient 14-month-old.
Iarla reached another significant milestone in his development just a few weeks ago when a feeding tube was removed from his nose and he was able to eat normally for the first time.
Ms Ace, who is a nurse in Craigavon Area Hospital, said her son’s birth on October 22nd last year was very traumatic.
“He was very, very poorly whenever he was born,” said the 39-year-old.
“He wasn’t responding, and he had to be put on a ventilator.
“He was very tiny and at the start he had a lot of difficulties with his breathing and his blood pressure and other things. And it was really one thing after another to be honest with you. At the very, very start it was very precarious – we really didn’t think he was going to survive the first couple of days.
“But he’s a really strong wee man and everything and every idea that they (the doctors) came up with, it just seemed to work for him, and he seemed to just get past each hurdle and then move on to the next one.”
Ms Ace said last Christmas was a “horrible” experience for the family as she and her husband tried to balance visits to see Iarla in the neo-natal unit of Craigavon Area Hospital with making the holiday special for Aine at home.
Then Iarla became very unwell with a bowel obstruction and was rushed back to the Royal on New Year’s Day for emergency surgery.
“I think last year we just got through it because we had to,” said his mum.
She added: “It’s going to be amazing just for us all to be together at home this year for Christmas, and just eat dinner and visit family and enjoy just the four of us being together without having to go anywhere near a hospital.”
Iarla’s father Matthew, who is a team leader in a pharmaceutical company, said the day his son finally came home from hospital was “incredible”.
“It was just unreal,” said the 38-year-old. “The last four weeks leading up to when you thought he was coming home, time really slowed down rather than got faster.”
Ms Ace said the removal of Iarla’s feeding tube was a landmark moment on his journey.
“I just cried and cried, I was just so happy, just so proud of him,” she said.
“It was a very long process to get to that stage and now he really is thriving, he’s meeting all his developmental milestones for his corrected age. He is really enjoying eating and drinking and he’s a very content and happy little man.”
Iarla’s parents say they are so thankful to all those involved in his care at the Royal in Belfast and in Craigavon hospital, and all the family and friends who have helped them throughout the last 14 months.
They also hailed what they described as the “amazing support” of TinyLife, a charity that helps families with premature babies.
Iarla has a condition called hydrocephalus, which results in a build-up of fluid in his brain. His parents highlighted the assistance they have also received from Shine, a charity that offers specialist support to those affected by spina bifida and hydrocephalus.
For more information visit www.tinylife.org.uk