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Early bird is brave Janine's mini miracle

Gillian Longstaff
30/ 1/2003

IF the laws of medicine had their way this tiny medical marvel wouldn't even have been conceived.

But someone was watching over tiny Christmas day miracle Katie Illishna Kuzmin-Atherton who bounced into the world 10 weeks early.

Katie's mum Janine Atherton, also had to call on the services of her guardian angel during what proved to a pregnancy full of trauma, and could so easily have ended in tragedy.

Not only was Janine, from Droylsden, told she would probably never have children of her own due to a condition called bicornuate uterus - a curved womb - but she was 19 weeks pregnant before she realised after going to see a doctor with stomach pains.

Dogged by problems, she was forced to return to Tameside from Spain where she was working, leaving Katie's heartbroken father, 26-year-old half Russian/half Ukrainian former soldier Illya Kuzmin, behind, because his visa had run out.

After several close calls Janine was rushed to Tameside Hospital on Christmas Eve and little Katie arrived after an emergency Caesarean on Christmas Day.

Katie astounded staff by weighing 3lb 14ozs and breathing on her own, but Janine needed a blood transfusion after losing two litres of blood and was rushed to the high dependency unit where she spent three weeks.

Now recovering at her mum and dad's home in Brookside Avenue, she said her 'perfect' baby was worth all the trauma.

"The last thing I remember before going into theatre was telling the midwife I hadn't told my mum how much I love her," she said.

"Even though Katie was doing so well she still had to go to special care and the midwives there were brilliant. I can't praise them enough, they were out of this world."

Janine is hoping to return to Spain with Katie when she's old enough to fly and, currently engaged to Illya, she says they're hoping to marry as soon as his visa is sorted out.

The only sad thing, she says, is leaving mum Jean and dad Keith behind.

"My dad said he will be losing his two little girls now. But we are only 10 minutes from the airport so mum and dad can visit a lot," said Janine.

Do you have a 'mini miracle' tale to tell similar to Janine's? Please email the Tameside Advertiser newsdesk at tamesideadvertiser@gmwn.co.uk
Please note the newsdesk can only consider stories relating to Tameside or Glossop.