Our miracle is called Emilia

On the eve of the Christmas all people are waiting for their miracle. Our Christmas miracle happened on Christmas Eve 2022 when I found out I was pregnant. It was the most beautiful gift I could have received. Pregnancy was easy and uneventful until at 24 gestational weeks I became the protagonist of my worst nightmare. We changed three hospitals to save our baby girl. In the first they gave up on her, in the second they fought for her until she was big enough to go to paediatrics, and in the third – ‘Mama and I’ in Pleven, Dr Simov believed in her and gave her a chance to live.

My baby was born 590 grams. In the first months of her life she went through so many difficult moments – she jumped over death several times, had laser surgery on her eyes, was transported from Sofia to Pleven by a specialized neonatal ambulance of ‘Mama and I’. She did not give up. My husband and I were close to her every day to give her strength. We trusted and prayed that our prayers would be answered and that fate would not take our baby away from us. And I, with all my soul, wanted her to be my daughter – Emilia.

A month passed, two, three, my heart was bleeding. The pain in me grew stronger and more hopeless. I lost myself. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I wanted my baby. I wanted to help her, but I didn’t know how. All I could do was pray, keep believing, and go to her every day – give her my love and support.

When she was unwell, I was experiencing her pain, experiencing absolutely real symptoms. At our most difficult time, I somehow found strength. I told myself that the despair couldn’t last and we were the ones who had to change the path! With the help of mothers who have gone through this ordeal and whose babies were saved by Dr. Velimir Simov, I made an attempt to contact him. I wrote him an email. I knew that he probably had so many commitments that he was unlikely to respond to me right away. So I found the first phone number he had under his name on the internet and prayed that luck would smile on me. To my greatest surprise I came across the nicest woman who could pick up the phone (a rarity in Bulgaria). When I told my story, crying and sobbing, she said she would do her best to put me in touch with Dr. Simov. She did, and I had a positive answer right away.

We were about to make the most important decision as parents – whether to keep our child in a Sofia hospital or move her to Pleven to the doctor who gave us hope. We took the risk. There was no telling if she would have made it all the way to Pleven even with the most special ambulance on earth. The chance of her surviving was minimal as she was intubated and at the same time sick with pneumonia.

Of course, she showed again that she was a hero and did not give up!

She was taken over by the team of the pediatric intensive care unit of ‘Mama and I’ in Pleven. For 2 months all the specialists fought for her life around the clock. During this period we were able to visit her every weekend. We travelled, saw her and returned. We knew she was in good hands.

The surprise came when Dr. Simov called me one morning and said, “Mama, come in, the child has been extubated and breathing for only 48 hours now. We are waiting for you, we will put you in a private room to take care of her”. That’s what I was waiting for. I immediately packed my bags and left for Pleven.

I wanted to kiss the doctor, take the baby in my arms and never let her go again! I was placed with her and the first days all the nurses helped me. I wanted to learn to do everything myself. I told them, ‘Please let me do it. I want I.” I quickly learned how to take care of my child. What to do under an hour, how to deal with her oxygen dependency. By the third or fourth day, we were completely on our own.

It was wonderful, it was fabulous! I was with my baby. The missing part of my heart had been found, had been filled. My love was complete. I felt happiest when my husband and I were with her and cuddling. We were a real family now. Our baby girl was already with us!

It’s a miracle of nature to go from 590 grams to a 4 pound man! To want life so badly. Emy has a mission and is here to fulfill it. And the doctors who saved her are her guiding archangels. We’re sure the best is yet to come, because we’re being discharged today, and we’ll be spending the Christmas holidays together.

On behalf of our happy family, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been a part of our happiness. Never change and above all – stay as dedicated doctors and people. Our Christmas will be complete. Believe in miracles and know that they happen to those who believe in them. Our miracle is Emilia! Because it has the phenomenon of ‘Mama and I’. Wishing you a happy holiday season. And love your loved ones. Separation is measured in days and love is boundless.