Born at just 23 weeks weighing only 800 grams, Adam Goddard spent 114 days in hospital fighting for his life. Now, as he celebrates his progress, his mum Anita shares their family’s story to mark World Prematurity Day (15 November) and highlight the importance of giving every premature baby the chance to survive and thrive.
When Anita Ibrahim-Goddard went into spontaneous labour at just 23 weeks pregnant, she and her husband Paul were plunged into an unimaginable situation. Their son Adam arrived on 1 December 2024, weighing just 800 grams (less than two pounds), with doctors warning that he had only around a 40 per cent chance of survival.
Born at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, East London, Adam faced an incredibly tough start to life. He suffered chronic lung disease, a grade two brain bleed and a hole in his heart, alongside a dislocated and paralysed arm following his difficult birth. His treatment included aggressive ventilation, morphine and sedatives, 11 blood transfusions and numerous invasive procedures.
Following Anita’s discharge from hospital, the family faced the prospect of travelling for hours across London every day from their home in Northwood (North-West London) to be with Adam. Thankfully, the neonatal team introduced them to Stevenson House, The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘Home from Home’ just moments from the hospital.
For seven weeks, Stevenson House provided Anita and Paul with a place to stay, allowing them to be by his side throughout his treatment and recovery.
Anita said: “Stevenson House became our sanctuary during the scariest, hardest time of our lives. It gave us so much more than somewhere to sleep. We had a safe space where we dared to dream of a future with our child, even when we had been told there was a strong chance we might never bring him home.
“Being just moments from the hospital meant we could deliver expressed milk around the clock, speak to doctors and, most importantly, be there to hold our son’s hand through every step of his fight.”
The emotional support was just as important. The family found comfort in the community of other parents staying at Stevenson House, while volunteers and local businesses helped make an incredibly difficult time a little easier.
One moment Anita will never forget came on Christmas Day, when Adam’s condition suddenly deteriorated while the family were visiting relatives. They received an urgent telephone call telling them to return to the hospital to say their goodbyes. Thankfully, Adam pulled through, and the family remained close to him at Stevenson House. When he was stable again, their relatives brought Christmas to them, helping create precious moments of togetherness during an otherwise frightening time.
After 114 days in hospital, Adam was finally discharged on 24 March 2025, his original due date. He came home on oxygen, which doctors believed he might need until he was around three years old. However, he surprised everyone by coming off it at just nine months old.
Today, Adam is a happy, giggly little boy who continues to defy expectations. Although he has ongoing challenges with Erb’s palsy, which affects the movement in his left arm, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and surgery have helped him make encouraging progress. He can now raise his arm to chest level, clap along to music in his own special way and even hide little toys and snacks in his hand.
His chronic lung disease means that colds can still result in hospital visits, but he is growing stronger. Adam has also started full-time nursery, where his mum says watching him develop alongside other children feels like a dream come true.
Reflecting on this year’s World Prematurity Day message, ‘Small babies, big potential’, Anita hopes Adam’s story will help raise awareness of the challenges faced by premature babies and their families, while celebrating what they can achieve.
She said: “Our baby was born at 23 weeks. We were told he was unlikely to survive labour and, when he arrived weighing 800 grams and not breathing, we were warned that we might never bring him home. But what we held on to was hope. Every day he survived was a gift, and with each passing day we began to believe more and more that he was here to stay.
“Raising awareness of prematurity is so important. There is so much uncertainty about what the future might hold, even after a baby comes home. I hope Adam’s story shows that, although the journey can be incredibly difficult, there is also so much potential. Every milestone, however small, deserves to be celebrated.”
Anita and Paul will always be grateful to the NHS professionals who cared for Adam and the support they received from The Sick Children’s Trust.
“Stevenson House gave us the strength to be there for Adam every single day. It meant we never had to choose between being close to our son and facing the practical and financial pressures of being away from home. We could simply be his parents, not just visitors, during the fight of his life. It really does take a village, and we will never forget the people who helped our little boy get where he is today.”
For more information about The Sick Children’s Trust and its ‘Homes from Home’, please visit sickchildrenstrust.org.