A WELLINGTON couple have gone back to a hospital which saved their baby’s life to hand over a cheque following fund-raising events last year.

Miya Baker weighed only 1lb 2oz when she was born 14 weeks prematurely at Southmead Hospital in Bristol in August, 2014, where doctors and nurses fought for weeks to keep her alive.

Mum Shannon, 21, and dad Luke Woodgate, spent seven weeks at the hospital, by her side day and night.

Miya was then moved to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, where she was kept for another nine weeks before being allowed home.

The couple lived in Lower Foxmoor, Rockwell Green, at the time and have just moved into a maisonette in Priory, Wellington.

Once Miya was home and out of danger, the former landlady at the Barley Mow, Rockwell Green, Gill Butler started staging charity events to thank both hospitals. Other money was raised by Luke running in the Bristol half-marathon, a car wash and a charity football match.

Shannon has already presented Southmead with a cheque for £3,362 and has another £1,300 to give to Musgrove.

Miya, who will be two in August, still only weighs 12lbs 14 oz but has recently been taken off oxygen for eight hours a day.

"We’re told she will come off it completely in a couple of weeks," said hairdresser Shannon. "Miya still has a long way to go but she is now crawling and saying a few words - and she can play like other children.

"We’ve been told she will always be small but we’re so thankful she is still with us. To us she is simply perfect.

“We still have a lot of family support so I can go to work for one day a week.

“Things are finally looking like they are going the right way. We are going on a family holiday to Turkey in July and we all can’t wait to get a bit of sun.”

Her proud parents Shannon and Luke, a 29-year-old valeter, are delighted to have moved into their new home.

Miya spent two weeks in Musgrove Park over the Easter with a chest infection but is now home again. She is also being monitored for cysts on her lungs but these have not got any bigger.