New dad Jamie Woods savours every minute with miracle baby Scarlett

This first-time dad has savoured every precious moment with his baby daughter after his “tough little cookie” was born with a rare and often fatal condition.

New dad Jamie Woods and partner Jade Curriez and baby Scarlett spent their first Father’s Day at home after being released from The Mater Hospital. The X-ray of Scarlett’s diaphragm. Pictures: Peter Wallis

First-time dad Jamie Woods has savoured every precious moment with his baby daughter after his “tough little cookie” overcame the odds after being born with a rare and often fatal condition.

Little Scarlett Woods, born on August 7, faced a dire battle from the start after being diagnosed with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, a condition where the diaphragm fails to form correctly.

Jamie Woods with baby Scarlett.

Just 48 hours after her birth at Brisbane’s Mater Mothers’ Hospital, Scarlett underwent lifesaving surgery to stop abdominal organs pushing into her chest.

The hole in her diaphragm had pushed her intestines into the left side of her chest, displacing her heart and lung.

Despite the severe odds, Scarlett’s resilience shone through and after intensive care and surgery, she was finally able to go home with her parents.

Mr Woods, 26, and partner Jade Curriez, 26, were in awe of their bundle of joy, who was born at 39 weeks’ gestation, weighing 3.1kg.

Mr Woods described her as “the best Father’s Day present ever”.

Little baby Scarlett with her parents at the Mater Brisbane. Pictures: Peter Wallis

“She’s a fighter,” he said.

“Holding her for the first time, after all we’ve been through, was indescribable. It was love at first sight. There were tears — lots of tears.

“It was the best feeling in the world. Watching her get bigger and stronger is just amazing.”

Scarlett’s journey from near tragedy to recovery is nothing short of miraculous.

Ms Curriez noticed decreased foetal movement at 37 weeks and promptly sought help.

Scans revealed the CDH diagnosis, prompting a flurry of consultations and preparations.

“Everything happened so quickly,” she recalled.

“We went from thinking we had a healthy baby to facing a life-threatening condition.”

Scarlett spent nearly three weeks under constant care in Mater’s Neonatal Critical Care Unit before returning to Ipswich with her parents.

Mater Neonatology director Dr Pita Birch said CDH occurred in one in 2600 to 13,500 live births in Australia and had a survival rate of 50 to 60 per cent.

“There are only around 10 to 15 babies a year born with this condition at Mater,” Dr Birch said.

“The management of this condition is very complex, requiring a lot of skill and understanding from a multidisciplinary team.

Now, at home with their firstborn and their german shepherd, Xera, the couple had a quiet first Father’s Day last week.

Originally published as New dad Jamie Woods savours every minute with miracle baby Scarlett