Miracle Morecambe baby born four months early weighing just 1lb celebrates his first birthday

Arley-James survived a traumatic birth and numerous health scares in the first months of his life.

At one stage, such was the concern about him, Morecambe parents Naomi Walker and Chris Hughes were told to make funeral arrangements.

But the little fighter beat the odds and has been thriving since arriving at his Morecambe home in July.

“Arley has survived everything that’s been thrown at him, he’s a miracle,” said Naomi, a cleaner, who turned 35 four days after giving birth.

“He’s now a real chunky bum, so happy and full of smiles.”

Naomi’s pregnancy had been quite straightforward until she was admitted to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary last February with a urine condition and a chest infection.

While in hospital, Arley decided he wanted to make a very early entrance and Naomi was rushed to the delivery room.

“I was told that if he was born then, he wouldn’t make it so I was given lots of medication to stop the labour,” Naomi said. “It was horrendous.”

Eventually, she was transferred to the more specialist Sharoe Green Unit at the Royal Preston Hospital.

“I was put in an ambulance and it was the most horrific journey of my life as I didn’t want to go into labour in there,” Naomi said. “I was in a lot of pain but the adrenalin kicked in and I didn’t care as long as the baby was

fine.”

Efforts to stop Naomi’s contractions continued for a couple of days but then Arley made his arrival.

Unfortunately, Chris missed the birth as he was on his way by bus but Naomi was surrounded by dozens of nurses and doctors, keen to see one of only two babies in the north west to be born so prematurely.

He weighed just 500 grams and was named Arley, the Hebrew word for promise.

Naomi said: “I gave Arley a little cuddle and he made a purring sound that I’ll never forget but then he went straight into intensive care where he spent five-and-a-half months.”

Arley was so small that he was placed in a sandwich bag to receive those first vital hours of care.

He suffered several infections, had numerous blood transfusions and just when he seemed to have turned a corner and had been taken off ventilation, he contracted fungal endocarditis, fungal spores on his heart.

At just four weeks old, doctors thought Arley wouldn’t survive and Naomi was told to make funeral arrangements.

“This news flawed me but I couldn’t make any arrangements,” she said.

As a final attempt to save Arley, he was given a new drug which was still being trialled – and it worked.

“I was told it would be a rollercoaster ride, and don’t I know it,” Naomi said. “I’ve had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because of it all but Arley’s recovery has been amazing.”

Although he has chronic lung disease and is still on oxygen, he’s getting stronger every day.

Community nurses visit regularly and he has open access to the RLI children’s ward if needed.

Since Arley’s been home, he’s been doted on by his parents and big sister Amelie, 15, and all the family celebrated his miraculous first birthday on Tuesday.