A premature baby stuck abroad after her mum gave birth on holiday has been flown home in an incubator after £30,000 was crowdfunded by her parents - who have vowed only to do staycations in the future. Mother Bethany Cleathero, 27, was stranded in Cyprus since her baby Molly arrived just over two weeks ago.
Molly was born 16 weeks early at a Cyprus hospital on June 29. She was classed as fit to fly over, but went into labour hours before she was due to fly home. Mum and husband Jan, 29, struggled to obtain travel documents and Molly was stuck in neo-natal treatment costing £860 a day.
But they have now been able to return home to Cullompton, Devon, after they raised £26,748 crowdfunding. The charity Lucy Air Ambulance for Children also stepped in to fly baby Molly back in an incubator. Molly, born weighing just 750 grams, was flown into Exeter Airport on Tuesday night and is now at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.
Mr Cleathero said: "My stomach was going last night, I did not know what to think or what to feel. It was all a bit of a dream, but a good dream.
"Molly's journey is going to be difficult going ahead and there could be more complications in the future, but it's such a relief to know that she's here."
The Cleatheros still face raising £10,000, which is the amount outstanding for getting Molly home.
Mrs Cleathero said: “I am so thankful to my friends for finding out about Lucy Air Ambulance. We want to work with the charity to repay them because 'thank you' is not enough.
"She's (Molly) a madam and she's cost a lot more money than she should have at her age. We'll go back to Cyprus one day to show her where she was born, but for now I think we'll be holidaying in the UK."
The fundraiser can be found here.
