A Northumberland father has spoken of his joy after both his daughters, who were born prematurely, were finally reunited at home. Millie Douglas was born in August at just 27 weeks, weighing only 2.3lbs, and spent nine weeks in hospital before being allowed home this week.
Nine weeks in hospital
Millie spent 20 days at the RVI in Newcastle before being transferred to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington for a further 40 days, where she received vital treatment. Her parents, Alistair Douglas, 34, and Tayla, 31, from Warkworth, were finally able to bring her home after she graduated from the Special Care Baby Unit.
The couple's first child, Maya, was born in November 2022 at 31 weeks weighing just 3.13lbs. Due to a lack of space with the equipment needed at the RVI at the time, Maya was transferred to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, meaning the parents faced a 130-mile round trip to see their daughter.
Charity support
Alistair says charity Tiny Lives has continued to support the family through tough times. He said: "As a family we experienced first-hand the incredible care and support provided to premature babies and their families. The incubators, monitors, uncertainty, long days and nights, and the incredible people who look after babies when they are at their most vulnerable."
As a result, Alistair is set to run 100 miles in a single day around Druridge Bay Country Park in Northumberland this Saturday, October 10, raising money and awareness for Tiny Lives.
Family reunited
Speaking on being reunited as a family of four at home, Alistair told ChronicleLive: "It's been a roller coaster but last night it was great having the two of them and Tayla back home. It was amazing. She still sleeps half the time really, just gets up for her bottles."
He added: "She's only 6Ibs now nine weeks later so she's still fairly small. We put her in the pram and picked Maya up from school and everyone was pulling us to the side saying how tiny she was." As Millie was put straight into an incubator, the parents weren't able to hold her properly. Alistair continued: "You could kind of put your hands in and sort of hold her a little bit but it was a weeks before we were able to do that. But for a proper cuddle it was a good few weeks."
Running challenge
Last year Alistair completed a 100km (62 miles) charity run for Tiny Lives, and with the support of friends, family and the local community managed to raise a significant amount of money for the charity. This year he wanted to go considerably further, running more than 7.5 times the distance of the Great North Run, all completed continuously in one day.
He will start at 2am, running repeated laps around Ladyburn Lake, and hopes to finish by 7pm, supported by friends throughout the day. Speaking on the run, Alistair said: "It's a bit of an unknown really. The 62 was really hard as my nutrition wasn't the best on the day. I'm hoping I can get it right and have plenty of electrolytes and just battle through it."
Alistair, who has run all his life and last year won the 800m silver medal at Northern champs, added: "Even if I've got to walk or crawl or get a wheelchair...I'll get round. The only thing that worries me is the unknown: blisters and injuries but I'll get through it."
