Beaming baby Monty Clarke shows what a difference a year makes.
These delightful photos capture the little lad’s progress from his premature birth to his cake-smashing first birthday.
But it’s not just marvellous Monty who has smashed it.
He received such excellent care that his mum plans to conquer her fear of heights to do a sky-dive for the NHS.
Monty was born by caesarean in January last year at 33 weeks.
Five weeks earlier, first-time mum Brooke Camilleri, 28, was told a problem in the placenta meant he was not feeding well.
He weighed only 3lb 8oz when he was delivered at The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, East London.
Brooke said: “It was so scary. He was so small, just changing his nappy seemed impossible at first.”
The first 12 hours were critical for Monty who was on a respirator and heart monitor in an intensive care incubator.
And because of jaundice he was under an ultraviolet lamp, with his eyes covered.
Ten days after his birth Monty was moved to the special care baby unit and a fortnight later went home to Canary Wharf, East London.
Brooke said: “I really did rely on the nurses to help me and my partner Micky in those first few crucial weeks.
“The first few days at home I was absolutely terrified.
“Monty was so small and he’d curl up into a ball. I called him my tiny orange hamster.”
You can see Monty’s progress in Brooke’s monthly snaps. By March he was cuddling his elephant and the next month he was beaming with joy.
In July they had a family holiday in Portugal and in December he visited Santa.
Brooke wants to do a sky-dive to raise money for a £250,000 Covid-19 appeal by Barts Charity.
Barts hospital is in the same NHS trust as the Royal London.
To donate go to bartscharity.org.uk.
Brooke added: “Not all babies make it, some sadly gain their wings and I’m doing this for those angel babies, the surviving babies and the angels that come disguised in scrubs.”
- Brooke is doing a sky-dive to raise money for a Covid-19 appeal launched by Barts Charity to provide £250,000 emergency funds for NHS hospital staff to cope with the challenges they are facing every day.
- To donate go to bartscharity.org.uk
