A little girl from the U.K. owes her life to a team of doctors who wrapped her in ice for three days as a newborn by placing her tiny body in a special cooling bag and bringing her temperature from 98 degrees Fahrenheit down to 95.9 degrees Fahrenheit.
When Lily Cracknell's mom, Rebecca Hasler, was 36 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with preeclampsia. She was taken to the hospital and labor was induced immediately, but when Lily was born at 5 pounds, 13 ounces -- she struggled to breathe for 30 minutes.
At that point, out of fear of brain swelling due to lack of oxygen, doctors decided they needed to act quickly and bring her temperature down.
And after being put in an icy bag for three long days, baby Lily started to recover after her body temperature was warmed back up again.
Her mom says, "Doctors said it was a miracle she pulled through. She looked so small and helpless lying there in her cool bag. But we knew it was her only chance of survival."
OMG. Can you imagine how devastating it must have been for this woman to not only wonder whether or not her baby was going to survive -- but to have to sit there and see her tiny little body all wrapped up and shivering?
When I had my son seven years ago, like any mom -- all I wanted was to hold him in my arms and keep him warm and safe, so I can't even fathom how awful Rebecca's experience must have been. She must have felt so powerless, like there was nothing she could do but wait, hope, and pray that her precious baby would be ok.
All any parent wants is for their child to beborn healthy, and it's just so horrible to think about anyone having to go through the first few days of their baby's life not knowing whether or not they'll ever take them home.
Thankfully, Rebecca got her happy ending and Lily has made a "strong recovery" despite being small for her age.
Rebecca says, "She may be tiny but she’s a fighter. When we tell people that Lily was put in a cool bag, they can’t believe it. Lily had a difficult start to life, but she is really making up for it now. She’s boisterous and full of mischief. We're so grateful to the doctors for saving her."
Ahh. "Boisterous and full of mischief." If that's not music to any parent's ears, I really don't know what is.
What well wishes would you send to this mother and daughter?
Image via nerissa's ring/Flickr