Baby born with organs on outside leaves hospital

LITTLE Victoria Nolan has been in hospital since the day she was born but she’s going home to her mother and twin sister for Christmas.

The 19-month-old toddler from Killarney, Co Kerry, has bravely battled with a condition called Exomphlas. The rare defect meant Victoria's organs, including her liver, spleen and bowel were outside her body.

"Her tummy was virtually transparent as the skin was like cling film and her organs were contained outside in a pouch the size of a tennis ball," her mother Deirdre, 24, said.

This Christmas Victoria will return home to her overjoyed mother and identical twin sister Katelyn.

"Victoria coming home is the best Christmas present I could have wished for. It really is a dream come true," Deirdre said.

Only for a life-saving five-hour operation last summer, Victoria would not have lived to see Christmas at all.

Her mother didn't even know if her little girl would survive the surgery.

"It was dreadful sitting there watching her in this paralysed state, pumped up with high doses of morphine, and not even being able to see her open her eyes but, gradually, the medical team brought her back," Deirdre said.

Soon she started breathing on her own and made such a good recovery that she was recently transferred nearer home to Tralee General Hospital.

Deirdre spent three days a week at Victoria's bedside during her time in Temple Street, a 360-mile round trip from her home in Bellview, Killarney.

"I was very lucky to have great support from my family. I was really torn between wanting to spend all my time with Victoria and ensuring Katelyn was given a fair chance."

The Nolans hope Christmas will be the start of a great new period in their lives. "The doctors assure me that she can look forward to a great life. She may be prone to hernias but we can deal with that."

Deirdre knows the future won't be easy but Victoria is continuing to make a great recovery.

"It will be a long road back and Victoria is due to return to Temple Street for assessment during February and March when they will decide what to do about further operations and skin grafts."

Despite her own difficult ordeal Deirdre met many parents with even more tragic stories. "What's wrong with Victoria is fixable if she can cope, I can cope and, compared to what other people have to go through, we are doing fine," she said.