Mum hopes triplets can come home for Christmas

1 hour ago

Tanya GuptaSouth East

News image — Aaron, Elsie and Jessica have been visiting Tillie in hospital

Family Aaron Packham, holding nine-month-old Elsie Packham, sits next to Jessica Grosvenor in a neonatal unit. Beside them, Tillie Packham, is receiving neonatal care in a hospital incubator with monitoring equipment. Medical devices, screens, tubing and other neonatal unit equipment are visible around the incubator. — Aaron, Elsie and Jessica have been visiting Tillie in hospital

A mother who has given birth to triplets after being told one of them might not survive is hoping they will be home for Christmas.

Jessica Grosvenor, 25, from Gillingham, gave birth to daughters Millie, Tillie and Lottie on 13 October after months of specialist monitoring during her pregnancy and the babies are still in hospital receiving neonatal care.

Medics had been concerned about Tillie, who was smaller than her sisters and whose chances of survival worried doctors.

Jessica and her partner, Aaron Packham, who already have a nine-month-old daughter, Elsie, attended regular scans throughout the pregnancy as specialists at Medway NHS Foundation Trust monitored the babies' progress.

'Never lost hope'

The girls were delivered at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford at 29 weeks and five days.

"When the first two came out we heard them cry," said Jessica. "She came out, we didn't hear a cry.

"We were just looking at each other saying, 'please, please, please'. A lady came in and said, 'we've stabilised her'. We just broke down.

"We felt like someone had taken their foot off our chests.

"It was terrifying and emotional. They are just over a week old now and we can't believe it."

Family A composite image shows Lottie Packham (left) and Millie Packham (right) receiving neonatal care. Lottie is lying on a pink hospital blanket with healthcare equipment visible. Millie Packham is lying on a patterned blanket in a neonatal cot with monitoring equipment. Both babies are asleep and photographed individually in a hospital neonatal unit. — Lottie and Millie are receiving neonatal care

The couple moved to Kent from the Midlands during the pregnancy, and have praised the support from NHS staff in Medway and Ashford.

"We just never lost hope. We never lost faith," Jessica said.

Staff at Medway Maritime Hospital called Tillie a "little fighter", she recalled, adding that it gave the couple hope.

Tillie was born weighing 1lb 1oz (500g), while Millie weighed 2lb 15oz (1.33kg) and Lottie weighed 3lb (1.36kg)

"They're all miracle babies, but Tillie especially," Jessica said.

She said all three were now stable in neonatal care.

Jessica said her focus was on the weeks ahead and bringing the girls home.

"We were told probably a minimum of six to eight weeks. Tillie will probably be longer. I hope we have them home for Christmas," she said.

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