The most premature baby to survive being born outside of a hospital in the UK has launched an appeal to thank the paramedic who saved his life.
Thought to be the only baby in the UK to have survived after being born so early outside of hospital, Matthew Kandziorra medically 'died' in an ambulance en route to Leeds’ St James's Hospital.
Thankfully, the youngster was brought back from the brink after a heroic paramedic gave him life-saving CPR, all while his concerned parents looked on.
Now 14, Matthew, who has Cerebral Palsy, hopes to find the dedicated medic who gave him a chance at life and thank him face-to-face.
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Matthew said: "The paramedic cut the umbilical cord and took me to the ambulance, unfortunately, on the short way to the hospital, I stopped breathing and died.
But luckily the same heroic paramedic did CPR and saved my life. After all these years, I can't stop thinking about this paramedic. I would like to find him and thank him".
Matthew's mum Laura went into labour unexpectedly at just 25 weeks and four days at their Leeds home in the early hours of August 15, 2007, having woken with stomach pain at around 2am.
His grandmother, Renata Sawicka, delivered him in the bathroom, all while his dad Dawid relayed instructions from a 999 operator. It soon became clear that there was no time to get Laura to the hospital before the birth.
After Matthew arrived at the hospital, doctors fought tirelessly to save him, with the infant kept in hospital for four months after undergoing a blood transfusion.
Much to their joy, Matthew’s parents were finally able to bring him home just in time for Christmas 2007, by which point he weighed 2.7 kilos.
Through tears, Dawid recalled how the paramedic had come to visit Matthew and his family the very next day after his son was born: “He is a hero. He saved my son's life. If I could see him I would say thank you”.
The couple, who were both just twenty years old at the time of Matthew’s birth, were told by doctors at the time that their baby boy had suffered brain damage.
Matthew has experienced delays in his development, and also suffers from cerebral palsy and some mobility issues. Earlier this year, he underwent surgery on his right hand.
Matthew, who has a seven-year-old sister named Julia, now hopes that his remarkable story of survival will ‘give strength to others to fight and never give up’:
“When I was born I weighed only 720 grammes and no one gave me a chance to live," he said.
However, today I weigh 48kg and I am 14-years-old and even though I am struggling with cerebral palsy, I'm still so happy and enjoy every single day of my life”.
