A PROUD mum holding a miracle baby has praised the "fantastic" hospital staff that saved the life of her tiny son delivered three months early in June.

Bethan Wharton, 28, of Aldermere Road, Kidderminster, has eight-week-old Samuel home at last after a hair-raising chain of events that included her having a spell in hospital with suspected meningitis.

Her life and that of her husband Martin, 32, has been an exhausting trail between Kidderminster, Birmingham and Worcester hospitals over three months.

She has nothing but praise for the doctors and nurses who took action over her dangerously high blood pressure and delivered her baby safely against all the odds.

Mrs Wharton said: "They could not have done more for both of us. When Samuel was in special care and I had to keep visiting to feed him they looked after us brilliantly."

The couple are over the moon because Samuel, who weighed just 2lb 13oz at birth, was much longed for after two years of fertility treatment.

Mrs Wharton said Kidderminster Hospital staff were first to check the tell-tale swelling in her ankles and fingers that signalled all was not well with the pregnancy.

They rushed her off to Heartlands Hospital, Birming-ham, where she received an innovative new drug to help Samuel's breathing.

He was in such distress she was given a Caesarean operation the night of her arrival.

Subsequent treatment was at Ronkswood Hospital, Worcester, which more recently prepared her for the return home.

At one point she was so stressed with the twice-daily visits to feed her baby she developed a rash and was admitted herself to hospital in Birmingham for suspected meningitis.

"It was worth everything for this happy ending," she said, reflecting that Samuel was not officially due to enter the world until next week.