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Mum hails her miracle baby: She’s feisty and strong, tiny but mighty

Baby Jessica.
Baby Jessica.

It was the baby Debbie Fowler was told she would never have – and then the baby she feared she may lose.

Debbie, from Falkirk, had given up hope of becoming a mum after unsuccessful IVF treatment and a shattering medical verdict.

So she was stunned when she found she was pregnant and delighted when Jessica was born.

But joy turned to concern as Jessica suffered serious breathing problems and was also found to have three holes in the heart.

Now she has just celebrated her first birthday, having ­battled the odds.

As her fight is documented this week in BBC Scotland series #BumpBirthBaby, Debbie, 36, told The Sunday Post: “She feisty and strong, tiny but mighty.”

Debbie has an adopted daughter Shannon, 21, from a previous relationship, and stepson Nathan, 11, with her partner Cliff Wright.

But having a baby herself was something she thought would never happen.

“I really wanted it and even tried IVF without success,” said Debbie, a civil servant with the Army.

“Then I found out I had polycystic ovary syndrome and a blocked fallopian tube.

“I remember the doctor saying I’d never be able to have kids.”

Years later, Debbie found she was pregnant.

Within minutes of the birth at Forth Valley hospital, however, the dream turned into a nightmare.

Jessica suffered breathing difficulties. “She had to be taken to Glasgow Children’s Hospital and it’s all such a shock,” said Debbie.

“And when they did scans, they found the heart problems.

“She had a narrowing and also three holes in the heart. ”

Such were Debbie and Cliff’s concerns, they kept the news of the birth to themselves for a full week.

The three-part series explores the obsession of mums in charting every high and low on the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Like the other mums featured, Debbie eventually turned to social media.

“Other people post milestones like having the first bottle,” said Debbie.

“Hers were the morphine getting switched off or a drip taken out.”

Debbie and Cliff suffered further agony, however. A month after being allowed home, Jessica was rushed back to hospital when her lung collapsed and a four-hour operation was needed.

“The change in her after the operation was like night and day,” said Debbie.

Now, because of the interest generated on social media, Jessica has become a local celebrity.

“She so famous from the social media posts that she’s got her own fan club,” added Debbie.

#BumpBirthBaby, BBC Scotland, Tuesday, 10pm