Born just 585g, Rosie made it thanks to urgent, hands-on support.

Weighing just 585g – about the same as two cups of butter – baby Rosie was born at just 24 weeks. Now 13 months old, she’s a little miracle, thanks to crucial support along the way.

Rosie is one of many success stories made possible by Little Miracles Trust, a charity that provides free services to families and whānau with sick and premature babies who require neonatal care.

For Gore mum Rachel, Rosie’s arrival into the world was far from the birth she had imagined. At her 20-week scan the mum-to-be was informed that everything was going smoothly, but four weeks later, her world turned upside-down.

“I literally found out I was having a girl four weeks before giving birth. We had our 20-week scan, everything was great – and then four weeks later, she’s here,” Rachel says.

At 23 weeks, Rachel began feeling unwell. Her midwife referred her to an obstetrician whose tests showed her blood pressure was dangerously high. She was transferred to Dunedin and stabilised briefly, but then the blood flow to the placenta reversed and her organs began to shut down.

“The doctors said they were equally worried for me as they were Rosie,” Rachel recalls.

She gave birth to Rosie at just 24 weeks’ gestation, but the nightmare was only just beginning.

“On day 10, they noticed there was air on the outside of her tummy, which is not normal. So Rosie got airlifted to Christchurch Hospital by herself.”

As they couldn’t accompany their newborn in the helicopter, Rachel and her husband made the five-hour drive to Christchurch 10 days after undergoing a C-section delivery.

“On the flight, Rosie took a turn for the worse. She deteriorated very quickly and they had to keep her alive for the last 20 minutes of the flight. We didn’t know at the time how sick she’d fallen; because they were focusing on her, ringing us wasn’t really a priority,” Rachel says.

“Little did we know she had taken an absolute turn for the worse and they were keeping her alive for us to say our goodbyes.”

As Rosie’s parents arrived in Christchurch, the tiny tot was whisked into emergency surgery. Doctors formed two stomas and removed 3cm of her bowel. She weighed just 600g but Rosie pulled through, and the surgery was a success.

But the road to recovery was a long one. Rosie battled a rare infection, which was followed by multiple others over the following months. She required intubation, and two months after her first surgery, she was operated on for a second time to have her bowel reconnected.

Terrified and unprepared, Rachel leaned on the Little Miracles Trust coordinator during their four-month stay in Christchurch Hospital’s NICU.

“She was really hands-on, she was like a support person. She had a premature baby as well, so she knew what it was like and the rollercoaster of emotions.”

As Rachel’s and Rosie’s conditions had deteriorated so rapidly, Rachel had arrived in Christchurch with nothing but the clothes on her back.

“I had gone to the obstetrician thinking I would be going home afterwards, so I didn’t have an overnight bag packed. I had nothing – I was in my work clothes. Having been 24 weeks pregnant, I was also completely unprepared.”

Little Miracles Trust stepped in to provide breast pads, sanitary items, personal care products, premature baby clothing, and supermarket vouchers.

“The coordinator was always checking in on us, lending an ear or being a shoulder to lean on. When we arrived in Christchurch, we were shunted into this world and Little Miracles Trust was like, what can we do to help you?”

After 134 days in the unit, the family were discharged home – and now, 13 months later, Rosie is happy, healthy, and meeting her milestones.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel: look at us now, a year on. There’s such amazing support within the hospital. As hard as it can be, accept the help,” Rachel says.

One in 10 babies in New Zealand is born premature. The size of these babies might be tiny, but their determination is mighty.

Last year, Woolworths partnered with Little Miracles Trust to create a family assistance fund, which provides families with food and fuel vouchers to help them get by during such a difficult time.

Kiwis can help support Little Miracles Trust and its incredible work by shopping at Woolworths and purchasing partner brands. Every time you buy selected baby products at Woolworths between May 5 and June 1, 2025, 5c goes towards the charity. You can also donate directly via the Little Miracles Trust website. Together, we can help little miracles like Rosie.