'I said no to an abortion but my unborn child had devastating rare diagnosis, then something major happened'
21.02.2023 - 11:01
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A mum said no after she was offered an abortion after discovering her unborn daughter had a rare brain condition and abnormality. Now, the family is now celebrating her incredible recovery after the tot underwent major surgery on her oesophagus at just a few hours old.
Marie Stockdale, 35, a dinner lady from Penrith, Cumbria, was delighted to be expecting twin daughters with her partner, 48-year-old HGV driver Paul Kipling. But their excitement soon turned to frantic worry.
While Mila was healthy in the womb, doctors found that her twin Ava had a rare brain condition and an abnormality where her oesophagus was not attached correctly, which would likely need surgery after being born. Marie tuned down a termination to give Ava a “chance to fight” - when the twins were born in May 2022 Ava underwent emergency surgery to correct her oesophagus.
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The twins are now eight-and-a-half months old and, despite a tumultuous first few weeks, feeding through a tube and continued hospital treatment every two months, Ava has come on leaps and bounds. “It was terrifying to watch my newborn baby being whisked away for major surgery,” Marie said.
“Ava went through a lot in the first few weeks of her life so to see her now, getting stronger each day, is wonderful.”
It was not until Marie’s 20-week scan that she discovered there were complications with her pregnancy. Doctors found that Ava had a lot more amniotic fluid surrounding her body than Mila.
They drained some of the fluid while the girls were still in the womb, but it continued to build back up, confirming their diagnosis that Ava had oesophageal atresia and