Mother and baby reunited on life support

A mother and her newborn daughter who were both critically ill and on life support shared an emotional first cuddle after medics worked to bring them together.

Helen, who has a rare neurological condition called myasthenia gravis, gave birth to Maeve in May and shortly afterwards both needed ventilation which left them in separate intensive care units at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Maeve was taken away due to breathing difficulties but her condition worsened and she had to be intubated and put on a ventilator.

Helen's husband, Justin, said staff "turned a scary time into something filled with compassion and strength, we'll always be grateful."

Helen's health also deteriorated shortly after giving birth, requiring her own emergency admission to intensive care, where she was also placed on a ventilator.

Recognising the importance of early bonding, staff from both departments co-ordinated a carefully planned moment, transporting the baby in her ventilator beside her mother, allowing them to share skin-to-skin contact.

In the days that followed, as both remained on ventilators, hospital staff used iPads for video calls and placed photos of Maeve around Helen's bed.

Later, when stable enough, Helen was wheeled to the neonatal unit for a further visit.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Paul Watson said: "None of us had ever encountered a situation quite like this.

"The team worked tirelessly to make this happen. Maeve is now off respiratory support and expected to make a full recovery."

Helen has since been discharged from intensive care with a positive outlook.

Maeve remains in hospital for monitoring, with Helen now by her side.

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.