Shrewsbury miracle baby Ollie cheats death

Miracle baby Ollie Harris looks a picture of health as he cuddles up to his dad Fred - just weeks after cheating death.

Ollie, now eight weeks old, was born stillborn at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on January 12 and had no heartbeat and did not take a breath for the first 13 minutes of his life. But nurses at the hospital's neo-natal unit were able to revive him and keep him alive on a ventilator.

They used therapeutic hypothermia treatment, cooling Ollie's body temperature by placing an ice pack across his chest for three days.

Ollie's parents were unable to touch or hold him for the first week until doctors started to bring Ollie's body temperature back to a normal level.

Three weeks after Ollie was born his delighted parents Fred Harris and Kelly Roberts were able to take him back to his home in White House Gardens in Ditherington, Shrewsbury.

And tests sent to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool have confirmed Ollie is perfectly healthy.

His mum Kelly Roberts, who has five other children, said: "If it wasn't for the team at the neo-natal unit at Shrewsbury Ollie wouldn't be here and we are so grateful to them.

"He is coming on really well and started smiling at us two days ago. He is our little miracle."

A spokesman from The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: "We have been using therapeutic hypothermia or cooling treatment for over a year, on the small number of babies who are born compromised following a difficult birth.

"This has been shown to significantly reduce the risks of damage to their brain and longterm developmental problems.

"The treatment involves the newborn baby being wrapped in a special piece of cooling equipment which cools their temperature down to 33.5C for 72 hours, after which time the baby is warmed back up to its normal temperature.

"This equipment for cooling has been purchased from charitable trust funds. We are extremely grateful to the parents and relatives of babies who were born on the neonatal unit and members of the general public for their ongoing support in helping to fund this vital equipment."