SHE has been a long time coming, but little Mia Shannon Foran is the precious gift her parents thought they would never have.
Her mum Maria Pridmore (32) and dad John Foran (35), of Hall Lane, Moulton Seas End, have gone through heartache to finally end up with a beautiful baby daughter, born on January 16 weighing 4lb 12oz.
Part of their sorrow lays in the two little bodies resting next to each other in a graveyard at Moulton – Shannon, who was stillborn, and Kia, who died at two weeks.
John says that still hurts a lot, but admits: “It doesn’t compensate, but it makes it a bit easier.”
Maria has also experienced 14 traumatic miscarriages, two since Kia’s birth late in 2009, and says of her simple delight at finally holding a six-week-old baby in her arms: “It is out of this world.
“After everything we have gone through this is like a dream come true. I didn’t think it would ever happen.
“After losing the two I lost and all the miscarriages I never thought I would be gifted with one. She is precious to us.”
Medical staff at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston were taking no chances with Maria’s pregnancy this time, and went to extreme lengths to ensure the medical problems, such as pre-eclampsia and a condition that makes the blood clot, that had contributed to Maria’s problems did not prevent a healthy baby being born.
“During the pregnancy, we went to the Pilgrim Hospital 92 times for scans and check-ups,” said John, who was giving Maria injections in her tummy twice a day to prevent clots. “They put her on aspirin and she had the injections and packed in work straight away. We found out she was pregnant at eight weeks and they ordered bed rest from then on.
“Her mum and dad, Shirley and Mick Pridmore, have been good. We moved into their house at the start of the pregnancy so they could keep an eye on her.
“We were really anxious. Every time we went for a scan we looked for a heartbeat.
“We went every Wednesday and every Tuesday night Maria didn’t sleep. The drive to the hospital was like going to a funeral, really down and anxious, until we knew the baby was all right.”
John, who works for Winchester Growers at Pinchbeck, was present for the Caesarian birth, and admits: “I sat there crying.”
However, six weeks on and there are no tears: Mia has nearly doubled in weight and Maria, too, is doing well.