Mother told her unborn twins were just a 'mass of cells gives birth to miracle baby after medics missed his heartbeat'

An expectant mother told her unborn twins were nothing more than a mass of cells gave birth to a 'miracle' baby boy after medics failed to spot his heartbeat.

Leanne Storey, from Belfast in Northern Ireland, claims she was told her pregnancy was 'not viable'.

The 27-year-old was told she had suffered a molar pregnancy - where cells fail to form into a foetus - with doctors advising she undergo surgery to remove the tissue.

The mother-of-two had surgery, but was shocked when at a follow-up scan medics told her had detected a heartbeat.

Miracle boy: Shea Storey is thought to be one of the first babies to have survived a dilation and curettage procedure

Happy family: Shia, pictured left with his mother Leanne, and right, with his sister Teighan, four

Ms Storey, who has started legal proceedings with The Belfast Trust for medical negligence, said medics confirmed one of her babies had survived the procedure.

She went on to carry her son to full term, making him one of the only babies thought to have survived a dialation and curettage (D and C) procedure aimed at removing the molar pregnancy.

She said: 'I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what I have been through.

'I couldn’t imagine life without Shea now, he is so special to me. I feel blessed that he made it through after such a traumatic start.

'When I was told that my pregnancy wasn’t viable, I was devastated.The idea of a D and C was heartbreaking, and I dreaded having it.

'But when I heard his heartbeat at the follow up appointment, it was like a dream come true.

'I am just so thankful to have him home with me now. He’s a miracle.'

The 27-year-old found out she was pregnant with twins in May 2013.

She said: 'I was delighted and excited to be pregnant again. After attending the hospital with pain I found out I was carrying twins.

'But when an appointment was made to determine how far along the twins were, I realised something was wrong by the midwife’s face.

Surprise joy: During a scan to determine how far along she was, Leanne was told there was a 99 per cent chance it was a molar pregnancy

Tough pregnancy: Leanne says she worried throughout her pregnancy, and had to have weekly scans to check Shea was healthy

'I asked if everything was okay, and the midwife said no. I started to cry.'

The midwives told her she was having a molar pregnancy - a condition where the foetus - or foetuses - do not fully develop, and there was no living baby inside her.

Ms Storey said: 'A doctor was called and rescanned me.

'He confirmed there was a 99 per cent chance it was a molar pregnancy and I needed a D and C.

'I asked about the other one per cent but was told if it was not a molar pregnancy, it was a miscarriage.'

'The doctor told me "there's a foetus"... he quickly reassured me there was a heartbeat. I couldn't believe it'
- Leanne Storey

She was booked in for the surgery on June 10, 2013, dreading what was to come.

She said: 'I was crying all weekend. I was so scared about the procedure on Monday.'

But Ms Storey made it to theatre and was relieved when she thought it was all over.

She added: 'When I woke up from the D and C the theatre staff informed me it went well. I just wanted to go home.

'But four days later I started feeling sick and dizzy and was referred to hospital by my GP.'

Ms Storey was scanned again to see if she needed a second D and C to remove any tissue missed in the first surgical procedure.

But during the scan, medics made the shock discovery that the 27-year-old was in fact still expecting.

Happy ending: Leanne and Shea are now back home with Leanne¿s daughter Teighan

The 27-year-old said: 'The doctor told me "there’s a foetus" and started to point it out.

'But I thought he meant my dead baby so I started crying. But he quickly assured me that there was a heartbeat.

'I couldn’t believe it. I asked about my second baby but there was no mention of another baby.

'I was so relieved to not need further treatment for a molar pregnancy as this was not the case.'

WHAT IS A MOLAR PREGNANCY?

Ruth Bender-Atik, National Director of Miscarriage Association, said: 'A molar pregnancy is one which begins with a chromosomally abnormal embryo that can’t survive, however the cells that normally become the placenta grow abnormally and need to be removed surgically.

'When that happens, the tissue that is removed should be tested in the lab to confirm that it’s molar tissue.
'It’s rare for an ongoing pregnancy to survive surgical management, but this may be what happened here.
'Miscarriage can be a very unhappy and frightening experience, and I can well imagine that this lady had a very difficult and distressing pregnancy, even though it happily led to the birth of her son.'

But Ms Storey couldn’t relax for the rest of her pregnancy knowing what her baby had been through.

She said: 'I asked if my baby was in any danger and was advised I would have weekly scans.

'The whole way through my pregnancy I was worrying about the danger to my baby.

'Since the hospital provided no written information for me on molar pregnancy to look over, I searched the internet to see if a healthy baby had ever been born after a D and C, but I couldn’t find any results.

'I was really worried. The whole nine months were a nightmare and I couldn’t enjoy my pregnancy.
I just wanted my baby in my arms.'

But Shea, thought to be one of the only babies to have survived a D and C, was born on the January 17.

Ms Storey, said: 'I had been preparing myself that he might not be but he was the most beautiful baby ever.'

Ms Storey and Shea are now back home with the 27-year-old's daughter Teighan, four.

She said: 'Now I am just so thankful to have him home with us. He completes our family. Teighan is fantastic with him.'

Ms Storey has started legal proceedings with The Belfast Trust for medical negligence.

She added: 'I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what I have been through.'

A spokesman for The Belfast Trust said: 'We are very sorry if Ms Storey has felt let down in any way by Belfast Trust.

'We fully understand that she may have concerns or further questions and that a legal process has begun, therefore it would be inappropriate to discuss in detail this particular issue.'

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