THE miracle babe who was born so tiny that nurses dressed her in dolls outfits and whose tiny frame stunned Princess Diana into silence is now safely home.

And for mum and dad, Amanda and Michael Bradshaw, of Crawford Street, Clock Face, it's the end of six months of worrying and waiting to see if their battling bundle of joy would win her fight for life.

For when little Rebecca Jayne Bradshaw entered the world prematurely just 24 weeks into the pregnancy, she weighed less than a bag of sugar at 1lb 9oz, and was immediately placed on a ventilator in a special unit.

Her meeting with royalty came 10 days later when the Princess of Wales paid a visit to Liverpool Womens' hospital. Amanda (30) recalls: "There was an embarrassing silence when Princess Di first saw Rebecca Jayne, she was completely stunned by her size. Then she asked me how old the baby was and when we expected to take her home."

She added: "Rebecca Jayne was so small that the nurses dressed her in dolls' clothes. Normal nappies wouldn't fit, so the staff improvised and used a ball of cotton wool. I wasn't even able to give my baby a cuddle when she was born, because her condition meant that she had to be taken to the special care unit immediately.

"She was put on a ventilator because she couldn't breathe for herself and was taken off it just before Christmas when she was two months old. It's been a long haul but we realise how lucky we are to have such a beautiful little girl. The nurses and staff at the hospital and family and friends have rallied around us and we can't thank them enough for all their help."

Even though Rebecca Jayne has finally been allowed home she still has to have oxygen, and medical staff say this will probably continue for between six months and two years, until her body has replaced the damaged lung tissue with new healthy tissue.

Computer operator Amanda added: "She's 8lb 4oz now, about the size of the average new-born baby, and we can see her getting chubbier and more alert - it really is great to enjoy having the whole family at home."

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