A ‘miracle’ baby girl who spent the first 26 minutes of her life without a heartbeat has returned home.

Relieved mum Becky Simpson of Sparth Avenue, Clayton-le-Moors has praised the ‘brilliant’ staff at Burnley General Hospital who saved her five-week-old daughter’s life when she was born without a pulse.

Becky has been told that her daughter, Isla Simpson, has sustained brain damage as a result of the incident, but she has been responding well over the past few weeks.

When Isla, Becky’s first child, was born on Sunday, September 21, midwives immediately noticed something was wrong.

Single mum Becky, 20, said: “She was born three days early but I was not expecting that anything would be wrong, there was no reason why there should be.

“When I gave birth staff pulled an emergency chord and immediately there was about 20 or 30 people in the room.

“I was in shock, I didn’t know what was going on and they didn’t have time to tell me.

“I just couldn’t take my eyes off them trying to resuscitate her, my mum was in there with me and she realised how serious it was and was crying. It was terrifying.”

Becky, who works with the North Lancs Training Group, said that her daughter, who weighed 7lbs 4ozs, was being resuscitated for 26 minutes.

She said: “I was told that they usually stop trying to resuscitate after 20minutes, but they didn’t with Isla. She started breathing after 26minutes – it was a miracle.”

In the aftermath of Isla’s resuscitation she spent a week on a ventilator in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit, where it was still unknown whether she would pull through.

Becky said: “I was told by doctors she may not make it, and I did prepare myself for the worst.

“I just felt empty in that time, I thought I was going to lose her.”

She added: “She has brain damage but we don’t know how serious it is at this point, we will have to wait to see how she develops. I would just like to say thank you all the nurses and doctors.

“They have been brilliant.”

Angela O’Toole, midwife matron, at Burnley General Hospital said: “All the staff in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at ELHT used their expertise and professionalism in ensuring Isla had safe, personal and effective care. The staff supported Becky through a difficult time and we are overwhelmed that she has taken the opportunity to publicise this.

“Everyone in the unit will miss them, but it’s obviously brilliant for Becky and Isla to be able to go home as a family and we wish them all the best for the future.”