New parents who lost one of their premature twins are now in a fight to get their surviving daughter back to the UK for specialist treatment. Matthew Melia and his wife DanDan are trying to raise £25,000 to get her back from Shenzhen, China, where they live.
They had expected their twins to be born this month, but complications meant DanDan gave birth to Mia and Scarlett Rose via caesarean section on May 3. The premature twins were taken to another hospital in Guangzhou, nearly 100 miles from where Matthew and DanDan live.
CT scans showed both babies had major problems. Scarlett Rose's was so severe that Matthew, 35, and DanDan, 33, were left with the impossible decision to stop treatment. She passed away in Matthew's arms on June 8, the first time that he had held her. Mia went on to have brain surgery at six weeks old and is now fighting the complications of being born so early.
Matthew's mum Sue told the Liverpool ECHO: "We just want to bring Mia home and doctors think she will need a shunt put in, which is an internal drain on the brain, but we don't want that to be done in China. We have been out of our minds and want the three of them home so we can help to take care of them.
"The communication from the hospital to the parents has not been great and from the start, doctors have been telling them to stop treatment for the babies and give up on them. But Matthew and DanDan did not want to do that."
Mia is now eight weeks old and has still never been held by her parents. There is a strict 'no visitor' policy in the neonatal units Mia has been in, even for parents. Matthew, who originally hails from Bromborough, Wirral, and DanDan have only seen Mia through a window and were only recently allowed in to take photos for her Passport. They receive photographs from a nurse twice a week.
Sue said: "They are not doing good and were desperate to have children and were delighted when they got the news. DanDan did have a few problems during the pregnancy, but everything seemed okay.
"They have not been able to hold their children and the first time Matthew did, Scarlett died in his arms. It was absolutely harrowing for the both of them."
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
As Mia is in hospital in a different city to where her parents were living, they have been renting a flat near the hospital. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, they have now had to return to Shenzhen. They are now visiting the hospital twice a week with frozen breast milk. They can view the room where Mia is from a corridor.
Sue said: "For parents to have to go through everything they have is awful and they are distraught but are fighting now for Mia. They want to get her to Liverpool Women's or Alder Hey (Children's Hospital).
"Mia has had brain bleeds and will need better care that she can get here in the UK. We want to try and fly her out of China as soon as possible."
Together with Lia’s Wings, the family has raised £15,000 so far towards the costs of the air transfer. They are now reaching out to others to help secure the final £25,000 needed for the special medical flight home. If you would like to donate to the page more information can be found here.
