Miracle baby defies odds after mother refuses doctors' abortion recommendation

'Dr. Heazell was fantastic...he was open minded about what could happen and showed so much care to our situation.'

Jade and Kevin Donnelly were expecting a child when her water broke at only 12-weeks gestation.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Doctors gave their child a 2.5 percent chance of survival and insisted the Donnelly's abort.

The couple refused and transferred Jade's care to St. Mary's Hospital in Manchester.

Her new doctor, Dr. Heazell, worked with the couple and helped them understand what difficulties may be coming with Jade's pregnancy.

"Dr. Heazell was fantastic," Jade told the Manchester Evening News. "[H]e was open minded about what could happen and showed so much care to our situation."

With plenty of prayer and unwavering faith, Jade reached 29-weeks gestation and delivered a beautiful baby boy via Cesarean section.

The boy, who was named Patrick, weighed only 3-pounds-one-ounce.

He spent the first eight weeks of his life at St. Mary's, while his parents benefited from Ronald McDonald House, a charity that provides nearby accommodations for families with hospitalized children.

"At such a stressful time it's hard to think straight, we just knew we wouldn't leave Patrick's bedside," Jade explained.

"The Ronald McDonald House was a godsend. We were always greeted with a friendly face and staff showed great care and interest in how Patrick was doing.

"It wasn't just somewhere to sleep at night, it was somewhere we could cook a meal, wash our clothes and it meant we weren't worrying about the cost implications or the time spent travelling in and out every day."

Patrick was sent to Whiston Hospital, where he stayed for a brief time before the Donnelly's were finally able to take their son home.

Today, Patrick is healthy and has just been weaned off oxygen. He is five-months-old and remains his parents' "miracle baby."

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