PHOTO – Infant Born Weighing Less Than Loaf of Bread Turns One: ‘Strong Enough to Defeat the Odds’

Few people expected a baby born weighing just over a pound to survive, but she proved them wrong.

Twenty-seven-year-old Lauren Ormston of Hampshire, England, was ecstatic as she and her fiancé prepared to become parents, the Epoch Times reported Monday.

Everything appeared fine as Ormston waited to bring baby Isla into the world in July 2022. However, when March 3, 2022, rolled around, she began having pains in her stomach and went to be tested to ensure everything was okay.

When doctors told her she was in labor, they gave the baby a 10 percent chance of survival. The young mother ended up at St. Peter’s Hospital and was induced that evening.

When she gave birth to little Isla, the baby weighed a mere 1.17 pounds. Hospital staff took her to the neonatal unit, where she was ventilated because she could not breathe without help.

According to the Mayo Clinic, premature babies are sometimes born with serious health issues, therefore, they need specialized care.

“I could only cuddle Isla for six minutes before she was taken. She looked so small and fragile like she would snap at the slightest bit of movement,” Ormston recalled.

The baby was suffering from bleeding in the brain, and she also had a hole in her heart, which is a common issue for infants at birth.

Ormstron anxiously waited to see if her daughter would survive. To her parents’ relief, Isla was removed from the ventilator at six weeks and began using an oxygen mask.

An image shows the baby’s tiny hand:

Two months into her journey, the baby’s retina detached, but surgeons were unable to restore sight in the affected eye.

However, none of those challenges kept her from growing healthy enough to go home, and the family celebrated her first birthday in March.

According to her mother, she has blossomed into an independent girl.

“We are just grateful for what we have, so grateful she was strong enough to defeat the odds and prove everyone wrong,” she added.