Premature child born size of bag of sugar defies odds to start primary school

‘She was so tiny in that little sandwich bag, I didn’t know if she would make it,’ mother says

Darcey Clegg, 4, was born so small she was put in a plastic sandwich bag (Alex Cousins SWNS)

A premature baby born the size of a bag of sugar who was kept alive in a sandwich bag has defied the odds to start primary school.

Darcey Clegg, now four, weighed just 1lb 5oz when she was born in September 2016 via an emergency C-section - three months early.

The little girl had to fight for her life in the neonatal unit at Royal Oldham Hospital, Greater Manchester, until she miraculously came home in December after 64 days in hospital.

Now, she is getting ready to start school in September. Her mother Gill Glegg, 50, Darcey’s progress as “amazing”

“She was so tiny in that little sandwich bag, I didn’t know if she would make it,” said Ms Clegg, a carer from Littleborough, Greater Manchester.

Darcey Clegg in her sandwich bag as a premature baby (Gill Clegg / SWNS)

“But now she has defied the odds and she is perfectly healthy. It’s so emotional to see her start school. We’ve got her uniform and everything ready to go.”

Ms Clegg and her partner at the time, Mark Moscrop, 58, who owns a removal van service, were surprised to find out they were expecting in April 2016

“It was a bit of a shock but a lovely one,” Ms Clegg - who has three other children, Karl, 30, Olivia, 20 and Jack, 18 - said.

The pregnancy was smooth sailing until a scan at 28 weeks revealed her baby was not receiving enough blood and there was a placental abnormality.

She was immediately rushed to Royal Oldham Hospital for an emergency C-section.

“It was terrifying,” Ms Clegg said. “I wasn’t given much hope that she would make it, but she came out crying.”

Darcey Clegg, 4, was born so small she was put in a plastic sandwich bag. Pictured here with mum Gill, 50, and dad Mark Moscrop, 58, at home near Oldham (Alex Cousins SWNS)

Darcey was immediately taken to the neonatal intensive care unit to help her survive the crucial months.

She battled blood transfusions and had to build up strength before she could come home in time to see in the New Year in 2016.

“She was the best present,” Ms Clegg said.

Since then Darcey has defied the odds to be a normal healthy girl.

“She started walking a bit late, but it was an amazing moment,” her mother added. “She is a dream.”

Now Darcey has just finished nursery and is set to start primary school in December.

“I’ve got all her uniform ready already,” Gill said. “It’s crazy that she is going to school, she asks if she is going everyday.

“I still remember looking at her tiny body in an incubator, she defied the odds.”

Darcey said: “I’m really excited to start school, I can’t wait to go and play with lots of other kids.”

SWNS