The family of little Chloe Alcock feared the worst but the brave tot is battling through – now six weeks old, was born at 25 weeks and weighing 1lbs 12oz on March 17, 2025
A premature baby was born on the same ward that her neonatal mum works on – and she was so tiny her hand was the same size as her dad’s fingertip. Little Chloe Alcock, now six weeks old, was born at 25 weeks and weighing 1lbs 12oz on March 17, 2025. The tiny tot has had to battle breathing and kidney problems as well as sepsis.
But little Chloe is in safe hands with practitioner mum Sarah Coxon, 35, and her colleagues at Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham. Sarah and her husband Dave Alcock, 35, are now hoping Chloe can come home near her original due date in June. Dave, a marketing manager, from Oakwood, Derby, said: “It was insane. Seeing a 15-week-early baby and having her in the hand, she was only 820 grams – she’s less than a bag of sugar. You’ve got to think that’s going to become a person at some point.
“And I wasn’t expecting some of the things that we had to do, whereas for Sarah, it’s an everyday occurrence. It’s definitely difficult to see, and I’m glad that Sarah was there to explain what was going on to me as well.”
Sarah, a neonatal nurse practitioner, said: “I was told that I was not going to be able to have a baby so finding out I was pregnant was amazing. The problem was that every strange feeling I had was such a worry that I wanted to be sure that she was OK.
“I was so scared that it was going to be just too early for Chloe to enter the world and I just didn’t want to lose her. Seeing her for the first time was precious – our little girl was here and although we knew that there were going to be many challenges in the near future, I couldn’t have been happier with her.
“She’s amazing, she’s fighting so hard and being her mummy is the best job in the world.” The couple were delighted when they fell pregnant in September 2024 after previously being told it was unlikely Sarah would ever fall pregnant due to polycystic ovaries.
Dave said: “She was so excited. She was like a kid at Christmas. She was giddy, she was running around. Sarah had a bleed the very next day and at eight weeks along but was reassured she was OK.”
But when she went into Royal Derby hospital, Derby on March 13 for a check-up, she was told she was in labour. The mum-to-be had to be rushed to New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton as Derby didn’t have the facilities to deal with a 15-week early premature baby.
Dave said: “I was very surprised. I just thought every hospital would be set up to deal with a premature baby. Both of us were really worried.”
When doctors discovered Sarah’s job they transferred her to the hospital she worked at – Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham – so she could give birth surrounded by her colleagues. On the way there her waters broke and seven hours later she was rushed for an emergency c-section.
Little Chloe was born on March 17, 2025 at 10.20pm – 15 weeks before her due date on June 30, 2025 – and rushed to the neonatal unit. Chloe has battled breathing issues and her lungs collapsed at one point. She is now on C-pap to help with her breathing.
Dave said: “She had one weekend where she would just stop breathing and they essentially had to bring her back alive. It was truly horrible seeing a baby just go bluey grey and completely limp.”
Sarah said her knowledge as a neonatal nurse has been a “double-edged sword”. Dave said: “In some aspects she knows exactly what’s going on and she understands what they’re doing to help Chloe.
“But on the flip side, she also knows that when they mention some things or that it’s negative, she automatically thinks the worst, because that’s what they’re trained to do.” While Chloe continues to gain strength in hospital the parents are now trying to raise funds so more hospitals can acquire the equipment needed to look after such tiny babies.
They are trying to raise £7,500 to buy diaphanoscopes for Queen’s Medical Centre – a tool that helps find veins in premature babies – which cost £1,080 each. The fundraiser has already raised £4,850.
Dave said: “I just couldn’t believe the generosity of all my friends, family, and people I’ve never met. I think everybody sees that little changes in hospitals can make a big impact. It doesn’t have to be a million-pound piece of equipment.”
Dave said the staff have been “incredible” and “we couldn’t ask anything more of the nurses”. Dave said: “With Chloe’s ups and downs, you just never know if the next phone call is going to be the hospital and you’re always stepping on eggshells making sure that the next text message isn’t something bad.” The couple are hoping Chloe keeps progressing and can come home in June.
You can donate to the fundraiser here – https://www.gofundme.com/f/chloes-fund-for-nicu-equipment
