'I was surrounded by other mothers holding their babies, I didn’t even know where mine was'

THIS SKEGNESS FAMILY FACED EVERY PARENT'S WORST NIGHTMARE

- BY LAYCIE BECK [e-mail]

Madeleine weighed just 1.15kg at birth

A SKEGNESS family have opened up about their experience after their daughter was born 12 weeks early and weighed a little more than a bag of sugar.

Kelly and Jonathan Cussons say the pregnancy went smoothly until just shy of 28 weeks Kelly’s water suddenly broke.

She said: “We rushed to Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, but it quickly became clear they didn’t have the facilities for such a premature baby. Before I could take in what was happening, we were being transferred to Cambridge, nearly two hours from home. Everything was happening so fast.”

The couple welcomed their baby, Madeleine-Rose Butler-Cussons, at five minutes past midnight on November 3, 2013. She weighed just 1.15kg and was barely bigger than her mum's hand.

Madeleine was born via an emergency caesarean and was unable to breathe or feed on her own. Kelly said: “I was surrounded by other mothers holding their babies, while I didn’t even know where mine was.

“I could hear newborns crying all around me, but not her. That emptiness and helplessness is something I'll never forget.” Jonathan explained the first few days were a blur.