Australia's earliest preterm surviving baby home for Christmas

Christmas is a time for miracles and there’s none greater than sweet Stevie O’Reilly.

The most premature baby in Australia ever to survive, Stevie was born almost four-and-a-half months’ early, on a family holiday more than 4,000km from home, her life saved by the neonatal and paediatric surgical teams at Townsville University Hospital (TUH).

Her mother Bree Basille said she and husband Jake, from Perth, still wake up most mornings in disbelief about the experience they lived through.

Stevie was born at TUH on July 17, at 22 weeks and two days, after her mother went into premature labour with twins on a family holiday in Cairns.
Sadly, Stevie’s twin Adrian died 18 days after birth.

Ms Basille said while losing their little boy was heartbreaking, the neonatal team made sure the family had precious time together and a chance to say a proper goodbye.

“We were told the day before that Adrian wasn’t going to make it, so we stayed at his bedside, holding him, loving him, doing everything we wished we could do in the outside world,” she said.

For the next three months Stevie battled sepsis, a dangerous complication of infection that can lead to organ failure or death, a collapsed lung, and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a serious intestinal disease in preterm babies that causes bowel tissue to die.

“We had the very best of care for Stevie in Townsville, and we will always remain incredibly grateful for the countless time and effort the team dedicated to keeping her here with us,” Ms Basille said.

TUH director of neonatology Dr Gary Alcock said he didn’t expect Stevie to survive.

“When Bree arrived at TUH, Stevie’s head had been partially delivered and I didn’t think she’d be born alive,” he said.

“To see her today is extraordinary.

“She’s a miracle and probably the highlight of my career.”

Paediatric surgeon Dr Brendan O’Connor, who treated Stevie for NEC, said the challenge for the surgical team was whether to give the tiny girl a bowel stoma or join her bowel back up.

“The part of Stevie’s bowel that was sick was close to her stomach and it had to be removed,” he said.

“Most of the time surgeons would give babies a stoma when they remove the abnormal bit of bowel but because Stevie’s unhealthy bowel was so close to her stomach, it meant she wouldn’t have much bowel to absorb nutrients and grow.

“Because she was so small and would have a lot of other challenges, we decided to join her bowel back up because we believed it would give her the best chance of survival.

“I’m so happy that it has worked for her and the whole team is delighted she’s home for Christmas.”

The family transferred back to Perth from Townsville in November where Stevie’s care continued at the King Edward Memorial Hospital.

After 137 days in hospital in two states, Stevie is home in time for Christmas.

Ms Basille said Stevie was ‘doing really well’.

“She’s on full breast feeds, weighs close to 4kg, and is starting to smile,” she said.

“She enjoys showing off while building her strength through tummy time and loves watching the sun rise and set on the West Australian shoreline.

“We are still in awe of the strength both Stevie and Adrian showed throughout their journeys.”

Neonatal nurse practitioner Meg Murphy said Stevie, Adrian, and their family were ‘unforgettable’.

“All of us in neonatology are over the moon Stevie is home for Christmas,” she said.

“The family was separated for so long and we became their family.

“To see them back together at home is truly a Christmas miracle.”