Tiny Charlie Jones is a mini miracle, defying the odds as one of Australia's smallest surviving newborns.
Born at just over 26 weeks, Charlie weighed 360 grams - slightly bigger than a can of soup - when he arrived at Brisbane's Mater Hospital on October 8.
Doctors feared baby Charlie would be too tiny for the equipment he needed to keep him alive.
Mum Samantha Jones, 28, has spent every day by her son's side and knew he was special.
“At times, we thought he might not make it, but he is so strong and determined. He’s a fighter for sure," Mrs Jones said.
After enduring one miscarriage, baby Charlie was a second chance at parenthood for Mrs Jones and her husband Nick.
“We were feeling confident as we got past the six-week mark, and when we reached 12 weeks, I thought we were in the clear,” Mrs Jones said.
“But at the 20-week scan, we found out that he was small, extremely small. The doctors said my pregnancy was likely to end in a miscarriage."
Mrs Jones suffers from epilepsy and Type 1 diabetes, and was admitted to Mater Mothers’ at 24 weeks for monitoring.
“After two weeks in the hospital, the doctors told me it looked like my placenta was about to fail, and I was taken down to have a C-section delivery.
"Thirty seconds after Charlie was delivered, my placenta completely stopped working – he was so close to not making it."
At just 360g and measuring just 27cms in length, Charlie is the smallest ever born at the Queensland hospital and one of the tiniest in the country.
After more than two months in the hospital's Neonatal Critical Care Unit, Charlie’s weight is now 1.44kg and he could be home in January.
Australia's smallest baby is Elora De Bondi, who was born in Melbourne in 2007 weighing just 319 grams.
“We have had babies born at similar or smaller sizes to Charlie before, but tragically they have not survived,” Dr Pita Birch, Mater’s Director of Neonatology, said.
“Charlie’s story is the result of many advances in the way we care for very small babies and their
mothers ... but it’s also down to Charlie, too.
"He’s a tough little guy.”
Charlie’s parents have been enjoying bonding with their son, sharing precious cuddles and skin-to-skin time with him in his Christmas-themed cot.
“He is definitely a daddy’s boy,” said Mr Jones.
“He always calms down when I sing a nursery rhyme to him or give him a hug.”
