Parents Laura and Adam learned at their 12-week scan that their baby, Millie Woodward, had gastroschisis, a rare condition that caused her intestines to develop outside her body. Shortly after she was born, doctors carefully returned her organs to where they belonged.

A baby born with a rare condition that caused her intestines to develop outside her body underwent surgery just hours after birth.

Parents Laura and Adam learned little Millie Woodward had gastroschisis during the 12-week scan.

The diagnosis left them overwhelmed, but Millie was delivered by a planned C-section, and within hours doctors carefully placed her organs back inside her body.

Laura said: “To look at her now, you’d never think she’s been through all of that.

“My whole world stopped when the sonographer told me they were ‘sorry’ – I thought everything was about to change.

“But after the most emotional time of our lives she arrived, and it couldn’t have gone better.

“We’re so proud of her, she’s a beautiful little girl.”

The couple, who already had children Ava, Zachary, and Tommy, attended a specialist scan to learn more about their daughter’s condition.

Doctors confirmed she would be born with gastroschisis.

Laura said: “They tried to reassure us but it sounded overwhelming.

“We were told I didn’t have to continue with the pregnancy if I didn’t want to, but there was no way I wasn’t giving our baby a chance. They told us it had a high survival rate and was something that could be treated – so we just had to hope for the best.”

Millie arrived at 11 minutes past 11 on December 11, weighing 5lb 11oz.

Laura said: “I’ve always thought 11 is a lucky number, even more so now.

“When she arrived they carefully wrapped her exposed organs to protect them and allowed me to hold her for a little while, which was exactly what I needed after all those months of worry.”

Millie underwent reconstructive surgery to place her small and large intestines back inside her body, a procedure that went “incredibly smoothly” at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.

Laura, of Clitheroe, Lancashire, added: “You’d never think she’s been through so much. She just has an outie belly button to show for it and is a little smaller than her friends.

“I try not to molly-coddle her but I want to do everything I can to protect her now she’s here. She’s just perfect in every way.”

Source: The Mirror