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From a tiny 520g to six kilos, baby Oliver is thriving

Erika Brown’s baby son Oliver Bate-Brown is thriving after being born four months premature. (PR HANDOUT IMAGE PHOTO)

By Sian Phillips in Sydney

IPSWICH mum Erika Brown now has a bouncing baby boy to cuddle – eight months after his arrival as one of the most premature babies born at a Brisbane hospital.

Ms Brown was rushed to Mater Mother’s Hospital when her waters broke last June, just 23 weeks into her pregnancy.

She was warned her tiny premature baby boy had only a “slim chance of surviving” but never gave up hope.

Baby Oliver was born a week later weighing just 520g, about the same as a tub of butter.

Doctors warned Ms Brown, 20 and her partner Lachlan that their son faced a desperate fight for life.

But Oliver had a world-leading team of doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health clinicians on his side in Mater’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where he received around-the-clock care for four months.

And eight months on Oliver Bate-Brown is thriving and tipping the scales at 6kg.

The North Booval couple said it was “touch and go” for a long time but their brave little boy has slowly grown stronger.

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Australian Associated Press

Australian Associated Press

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