Premature baby Arabella-Rae defies odds after being born half the weight of a bag of sugar

A mother has spoken of her daughter’s fight for life after she was born half the weight of a bag of sugar.

Little Arabella-Rae Carrol was just 800gs (1lb 7oz) when she was born at Royal Preston Hospital in August.

A standard bag of sugar is 1kg (2.2lb) in weight and Arabella-Rae took her first steps on the road to survival after being born 14 weeks premature.

Her mum, 19-year-old Cassie Blount McKenna, had been in labour for 10 days prior to her daughter’s birth.

In the months leading up to the birth, Cassie had suffered from an ear infection. As part of her treatment, she was required too give a urine sample and shortly afterwards, went into labour.

Cassie was unable to hold her daughter until an hour after she was born.

And when she finally did, her frail little girl had been diagnosed with a hole in her heart and a bleed on the brain.

But now, although still in the baby unit at Preston, Arabella Rae is a healthy 5.5lbs and is doing well.

Cassie said: “I was such a worrying time, I was really worried she wouldn’t make it.

“Arabella-Rae was tiny when she was born. I couldn’t hold her for an hour after the birth because she was so small and fragile.

“She was taken straight to the incubator and was intubated to help her breathe. When I look at how well she is doing now, I can’t believe how vulnerable she was.

“The nurses told me to prepare for her being born dead but Arabella-Rae has been fighting everyday since she was born, although she was only given a 50 per cent chance of survival.”

Babies like Arabella-Rae will be celebrated on Sunday as part of World Prematurity Day on Sunday.

And last weekend Arabella-Rae and her mum celebrated the upcoming event with a superhero-themed soft play evet at the hospital.

Cassie added: “One thing’s for sure, my daughter is going to be a fighter, she’s been fighting from the moment she was born.”