The midwife told Carrie that her son was already dead. After cleaning the baby the midwife gave him to Andy for him to hold. Suddenly Alex came to life in Andy's arms. Alex was whisked away and taken to the hospital's resuscitation unit. The next four days were a nightmare for Carrie.
Babies born so young often do quite well, then get worse very quickly.
Carrie and Andy were told not to get their hopes up too high. The consultant neonatologist Sian Harding explained that even if Alex survived he might have severe disabilities. Carrie and Andy were given the option of switching off the ventilator. Carrie and Andy were only prepared to do so if brain scans showed bleeding in Alex's brain. As no bleeding was detected, Alex's struggle for life continued, and the ventilators stayed on.