A premature baby who amazed doctors after she fought back from the brink of death was celebrating her first birthday today.

Mary Haley weighed only 1lb 10oz and could fit into the palm of her father's hand when she was born 14 weeks early.

Doctors told her Bradford-born parents Maria and Simon that she would not survive for more than a day and the couple organised an emergency baptism for their daughter.

But Mary wowed medical staff with her progress and was home from hospital after only three months.

"We feared the worst because she was so very tiny," said Maria, 29, who also lost twins who were born prematurely last year.

"I went into early labour at 24 weeks and Mary was born two weeks later in Halifax.

"Just 12 hours after her birth she was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary and everything failed including her lungs and liver."

She added: "The doctors told us that she wouldn't survive the day so we got our families over from Bradford and had her baptised. "It was more like a funeral than a baptism and there were a lot of tears, but only a few hours afterwards she suddenly started to improve.

"It was a terrible time. I couldn't even bear to look at her at first because I thought we would lose her like the twins."

But within four weeks, Mary was transferred back to hospital in Halifax and was breathing on her own, much to the amazement of the medical staff.

She was allowed to leave hospital on January 18 but within a week was back in hospital after catching a bronchial infection.

"Because her lungs were so under-developed, she was at risk from any little cough or sniffle," said Maria.

"We couldn't believe it. We were so happy to have her home and suddenly she was back in hospital. She spent a week on a ventilator and was very ill but once again she recovered."

Now Maria and her husband Simon, a contracts manager, who lived in Frizinghall until two years ago, say their daughter is a normal healthy baby.

"Mary is a little fighter and she's a real handful," said Maria, "I still worry about her falling ill and her weight is below average for her age but she seems quite happy.

"We won't know until she's older if her early birth has affected her development. We're just glad she's alive and well."

The family were celebrating Mary's first birthday today with a huge party at their Halifax home. And it will be a double celebration for the couple who have just found out that they are expecting another baby in the spring.

Mary's weight

At birth - 1lb10oz

At three months (which would have been the time she was due to be born) - 7lbs 8oz

At six months - 10lb

At one year - 17lbs 8oz

Mrs Haley said: "The doctors class Mary as a nine-month-old baby even though she is a year old and even then she is below the average weight.

"My sister's baby is just under five months old and she weighs the same as Mary does now.

"Because premature babies are tube fed they often lose their desire to eat and it's always a struggle at meal times with Mary."

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