The Miracle Mum and Baby

I heard an amazing story today which just goes to prove that the experts are not always right. Heard it on Sky News too – not normally the source of inspiring stories, but let’s give credit where it’s due.

The story concerned a Mum in Sydney, Australia, who quite literally nursed her baby back from the dead – it’s an incredible story which really struck a chord with me

Kate Ogg gave birth to twins prematurely at 27 weeks, with the babies weighing just 2lb. A little girl, Emily, was born healthy, but her brother Jamie was not breathing when he was born, and he was taken away by the medical staff to try to save him.

If I may digress for a second here, when my own daughter Ruby Grace was born, there were complications, and she was rushed out of the delivery room not breathing. Thankfully the medical staff were able to revive her after a few minutes, but that was the longest few minutes of our lives – I can only imagine what Kate Ogg and her husband must have been going through at this stage.

The medical staff fought for 20 minutes to try to save little Jamie, but they came back into the delivery room and broke the news to Kate that Jamie didn’t make it.

In her own words it was the worst feeling she had ever felt, and she unwrapped his limp body from his blanket, and just wanted to hold him next to her skin.

And that’s what she did

She just lay there hugging him and talking to him, after doctors and medical staff had tried everything they could to save him, were unable to revive him, and pronounced him dead.

But she lay there cuddling him and talking to him.

She told him his name, and about his sister, and about what they were all going to do together.

I’m sure they thought she was crazy

After 2 hours, he gasped for air, but even then the doctors explained that it was just a reflex action

In her own words: “But then I felt him move as if he were startled, then he started gasping more and more regularly. I gave Jamie some breast milk on my finger, he took it and started regular breathing normally.”

“I thought ‘Oh my God, what’s going on?’ A short time later he opened his eyes. It was a miracle.

“Then he held out his hand and grabbed my finger. He opened his eyes and moved his head from side to side.

The doctor kept shaking his head saying: ‘I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it’.”

So this woman goes through premature childbirth and delivers 2 babies, one of them dies, doctors tell her there’s nothing they can do, and she literally hugs him back to life. If it wasn’t for Kate Ogg (and probably her husband too – us Dads are sometimes forgotten!), then little Emily would be growing up without her twin brother.

In these times when rappers, footballers, actors, and even serial killers are hero-worshipped and lauded with praise, I’ve got to say that Kate Ogg and her husband stand head and shoulders above all of them.

I take my hat off to you both. You’re a real life inspiration.

And thank you for reminding us that the experts are not always right.