At 34 weeks pregnant, Amy Cawley was concerned she hadn’t felt her baby move for three days.

The 27-year-old’s pregnancy had been monitored closely because of reduced movement.

Scans showed that her baby girl was small for her age, however medics weren’t too worried.

But this time, when she went to Poole Hospital, Dorset, a scan showed that the baby’s heart rate was very low and they had to deliver her by emergency c-section.

Her partner, Alex Ferris, 26, arrived after she had been taken down for surgery.

Darcie-May Ferris was born on 9 December, weighing 4lb 7oz, but medics noticed both her arms were discoloured and covered in dark birthmark-like patches.

She was taken to intensive care and later transferred to Southampton General Hospital, where specialists handled complex skin conditions.

Her parents weren’t able to hold her, and an MRI showed she had suffered a stroke in the womb, caused by a blood clot from her shoulder.

Since then, Darcie has undergone six operations to remove severely damaged parts of her hands and arms, caused by clots cutting off blood supply.

One shocking moment for her parents was when some of her fingers came away while she was in the bath.

Despite a difficult start – including six weeks in hospital – Darcie’s future is looking brighter, according to her parents, who are raising funds for her care.

Alex said: ‘Darcie has been through so much, and we feel lucky every day that she’s here.

‘She will grow up without her arms and hands, but we will help her feel confident and proud of who she is.’

Amy added: ‘Doctors told me if they had waited another 48 hours, Darcie wouldn’t have made it. It was terrifying how close we came to losing her.’

After birth, Darcie was given medication to improve blood flow and reduce clots.

At first, it seemed to help, but it was too late for some fingers, which later came away.

Alex said: ‘We expected it, but it was still very hard to go through.’

Doctors then focused on her right arm, which wasn’t healing well. They chose gradual procedures instead of removing everything at once, hoping to preserve as much as possible.

After six operations in four months, Darcie now has her thumb and index finger on her left hand, and her right arm has been shortened from the forearm.

She will need more treatment and future reconstruction.

Her parents are now focusing on physiotherapy and raising funds to support her future.

Alex said: ‘We want her to live as normal a life as possible and have access to better prosthetics later on.

‘Darcie is an amazing little girl with a beautiful smile and a growing personality.’