FIRST-TIME mum Stacie Chorlton has thanked hospital staff for saving the life of her prematurely born baby boy.

Little Rhomley Scragg was born almost three months premature and needed an operation to cure a potentially life-threatening infection attacking his bowels.

He spent the first two-and-a-half weeks of his life in and out of hospitals across the country but is now at home making a good recovery.

Mum Stacie, aged 20, has paid tribute to all of the hospital staff who have supported her and her son.

And she has organised two charity events later this month to raise money for the wards who treated Rhomley as a way of saying thank you.

Stacie, who lives in Turnock Street, Bucknall, said: "All of the hospital staff have done a brilliant job and if it wasn't for them, Rhomley wouldn't be here today.

"I can't thank them enough."

Rhomley was born at hospital in Birmingham on October 17, 11 weeks and two days premature. He weighed 3lb 2oz and measured just 37cms in height.

Stacie, a clinical support worker at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, said: "On the Friday night before he was born I had joked to my mum about him coming early because I had a few pains and I told my mum if I didn't know better, I'd say I was in labour.

"The next day I still had the pains so we went to the hospital and they decided to keep me in because there was a chance I would go into premature labour.

"But on the Sunday another lady came in who was pregnant and they needed my bed, so I was transferred to Wolverhampton, but they discharged me the next day.

"I went back to the hospital in Stoke on the Tuesday, but then I was sent to Birmingham because they had no beds. I stayed there on Tuesday and Wednesday night and on the Thursday I gave birth."

For the first few days of his life, Rhomley was cared for at the neo-natal unit at Birmingham. He was then transferred to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire but became ill with Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) and had to be taken to Liverpool's Alder Hey hospital for an operation.

NEC is an illness in which tissues in the intestine become inflamed and start to die, which can cause the contents of the intestine to leak into the abdomen.

Rhomley was fitted with a stoma, an artificial opening on the abdomen to collect waste, and transferred to Liverpool Women's Hospital.

Stacie said: "He went from being perfectly fine to being seriously ill and hours away from dying

"He was on some antibiotics and the doctors wanted to wait 24 hours before they would operate, but the surgeons said if they waited that long, he wouldn't be fit enough to undergo surgery.

"It was a really worrying time and there's not a lot you can do but sit and wait."

On Sunday, January 31, Stacie will complete a 12-hour sponsored swim to raise money for the hospital which looked after her son. On the same day, she has also organised a car boot sale, at Moorville Hall Hotel, in Leek Road, Cellarhead, between 8am and 4pm, where donations will be taken.

The former Berry Hill High School pupil is hoping to raise £1,000 for each hospital.

Fiancee Shane Scragg, aged 22, who works as a car sprayer, said: "The last couple of months have been hard but the support the hospital has given us has been great.

"The staff do a lot of hard work behind the scenes which people don't often hear about and they deserve to get some credit."