In October 2009 Nevaeh Swayze-Willis was born 16 weeks prematurely. Nevaeh is now nearly 16 months old and doing well. Pictured: Nevaeh Swayze-Willis with her parents Richard and Siobhan.

Anyone meeting 16-month-old Nevaeh Swayze-Willis for the first time would see a happy, healthy outgoing child without a care in the world.

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But if she had been born a few hours earlier than she was, she would have died.

Her parents were told Nevaeh had just a 39pc chance of survival when she was born and the child’s carefree demeanour hides a stubbornness that has helped to ensure her survival and remarkable progress.

Nevaeh was born 16 weeks premature, just 23 weeks after her mother Siobhan Swayze became pregnant.

She was only 650g (1.4lb) when she was born at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn on October 12, 2009, and spent the first four months of her life being treated there, at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, in Cambridge.

During this time Nevaeh caught an infection and spent three months in an incubator.

Miss Swayze, 20, and Nevaeh’s father, Richard Willis, 28, did not hold their baby until a month after she was born for fear of making her condition worse.

Yesterday they spoke to the EDP from their home in Waterfield Avenue, Fakenham.

Miss Swayze said: “The first month was the hardest. We kept hearing that she would make one step forward and then 10 steps back. As soon as she was born she was put in a little plastic bag like a sandwich bag to keep warm and put on a life support machine. Then she got an infection and for two months we were told every day Nevaeh might not survive until the next day.

“You never know how you will handle yourself in these situations but we just somehow managed to deal with everything. Nevaeh herself was amazing. She always appeared to be content and reasonably happy. She even laughed at some of the other children on the ward when she saw them crying. She didn’t eat for a couple of days when she had an operation, but she never made a fuss.”

Nevaeh has undergone three operations and spent 10 weeks in plaster casts. One operation was to correct her feet – she was born with bilateral talipes, meaning that her feet were pointing upwards.

She still has regular check ups for this and will continue to have treatment on her feet until she is six years old, but is expected to make a full recovery. The other two operations were to deal with her infection. She had 13cms of intestines cut out and then replaced.

Mr Willis said: “We were told that if Nevaeh was born one day earlier they would have not resuscitated her because she would have had virtually no chance of survival. When she was born she was just the size of my hand. Her hand was the size of my little finger nail. She has a few development problems in terms of her co-ordination and things like that and I can tell that frustrates her a bit but she is now almost as advanced as any other child of her age.

“She has shown that she is a real fighter and that has kept her alive. She is now perfectly happy and she is outgoing because from her time in hospital she is used to being around a lot of people.”

Miss Swayze said: “We had absolutely no warning that Nevaeh would be born prematurely. The day I gave birth I had done a full day of work at Argos in Fakenham. I felt tired when I got home so went to bed and then my water broke. The paramedics who took us to hospital were amazing. Their quick-thinking has ensured that she is still alive today and I want to thank everyone who has helped us so much.”

Nevaeh’s parents are now urging people to donate to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital’s appeal to raise £500,000 to expand its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, with plans to add four new cots by autumn this year. To support the Cots for Tots appeal, visit www.justgiving .com/norwichnicu