'Mermaid' baby set for surgery

Milagros Cerron smiles, babbles and fidgets in the arms of her mother like any healthy nine-month-old, but she is no ordinary baby.

Milagros was born with her legs fused in a tight coating of skin – giving her the appearance of a mermaid.

“When I saw her for the first time, I felt pain,” said Milagros’ mother, 19-year-old Sara Arauco.

“In that moment I thought, ’What will she do with her life? Was God going to take her away or not? Was she going to live or not?”’

A team of Peruvian doctors believe Milagros is the perfect candidate for surgery to separate her legs – something that has never been tried before in Peru.

They plan to attempt the operation on February 24 and hope that after a few years of treatment, Milagros will be able to live a normal life.