Miracle baby girl born premature with 'double bubble' condition survives three operations to celebrate first birthday

Baby Freya, born at just 34 weeks and weighing in at 5lbs, was rushed to have major surgery when she was just hours old as she faced a rare congenital condition.

Then came 12 weeks of complications, set backs and two more surgeries in Saint Mary's Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, as her nervous parents watched over her day in, day out.

Now, as the family approaches the miracle girl's first birthday, they want to thank those who cared for them by raising £1,000 for the special unit.

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Freya Bones-Mottershead was welcomed to the world on March 5, 2021.

Shortly before she was born, medics spotted a 'double bubble' in Freya - a sign that she would desperately need surgery on the day of her birth due to a rare case of duodenal atresia, which causes babies to be unable to digest any nutrients or milk.

Freya came through the surgery and was building her strength, but eight days later, she appeared 'extremely bloated'.

Medics discovered that the little girl also had a perforated bowel, requiring another surgery to bring her intestines out of her body.

Days became weeks in the NICU as Freya, once again, had to work up to the reversal surgery that would put her organs back inside her tiny frame.

"It was a case of just taking each day as it comes," dad James told the Manchester Evening News .

"It was difficult for my partner because I was working for the majority of the time, while she was on maternity leave, wanting to be at the hospital as much as possible.

"Kirsty was the one who had to deal with a lot of the doctors coming in with bad and challenging news. That was bringing a lot of guilt with it for me because I couldn't be there to support my partner properly."

Unable to introduce their baby to family and