Saylor Thomson was born weighing just 1.025 kilograms, with a tumor twice as heavy attached to the Brisbane baby's small spine.
Her fast-growing tumor was first spotted in utero at her 20-week scan, where mom Rachel Thomson was given the grim news that her baby daughter only had a 25- to 40 percent chance of survival.
Baby Saylor had to deal with a tumor called Sacrococcygeal teratoma. It grows from the tailbone of a baby, and the tumor happens in just one out of 40,000 live births. According to Mater Mothers' Hospital's Professor Sailesh Kumar, Saylor's tumor was the largest they had ever seen from a baby of her size at the hospital.
Saylor delivered 11 weeks early after developing heart failure
Saylor was delivered via emergency cesarean more than 11 weeks early after she developed heart failure inside the womb.
Kumar managed to navigate Saylor's tricky birth with the help of a team of 25 surgeons, anesthetists, neonatologists, theatre staff, midwives, and nurses. He said Saylor's tumor was massive and complex and extended into her pelvis and abdomen.
He added that many of these babies do not survive the pregnancy as these tumors essentially function like a sizeable vascular shunt that causes a lot of blood to return to the heart. Kumar said that the hearts of some babies couldn't cope with this extra volume, resulting in heart failure.
Moments after the birth of Saylor, doctors started a long six-hour operation on the tiny infant to remove her tumor, according to 9News. Dr. Peter Borzi, a neonatal and pediatric surgeon at Queensland Children's Hospital and Mater Mothers' Hospital, performed the painstaking operation to save baby Saylor.
According to Borzi, Saylor needed five blood transfusions during her surgery, but the infant was strong and resilient. Borzi added that Saylor had made a remarkable recovery with the help of the teams at Queensland Children's Hospital and Mater Mothers' Hospital.
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Saylor now weighs 3 kilograms after the successful operation
Ten days after the birth of their baby, Saylor's parents were finally able to hold their daughter for the very first time. Saylor's mom said that when the social worker and surgeons first gathered to tell them she had little chance of making it due to prematurity and the tumor, she cried hysterically.
The sadness is all gone now, with the mother saying that holding Saylor in her arms and knowing she has come through the other side is something special.
Saylor's doctors said the baby has gone from strength to strength since the operation. She has gained weight since her birth, with Saylor now almost weighing three kilograms, according to ABC. The Thomson couple is sharing their story to highlight World Prematurity Day on November 17 and thank the hospital for the care they provided to their daughter.
