Zara Maille Canavci

Our darling daughter Zara was born at 5:53am on a bright and beautiful Saturday morning on the 1st July 2006. She lived for 37 minutes.
Our only child, she was a miracle of conception and a gift from God, and I miss her very much.

She was born prematurely, after induction, at 25 weeks due to my developing Pancreatitis and Liver abnormalities. She weighed 1lb 7oz and was 28 cms tall.

I had an extremely hard pregnancy. I have endometriosis and had a laparoscopy on the 1st February 2006, to clear my tubes in readiness for IVF. I developed a post-op infection and was admitted back into hospital for observation, where I found out I was pregnant and shouldn`t have had the laparoscopy. How she survived it is a miracle.
I had a pretty normal pregnancy up to my 17th week, when my waters broke for the 1st time. I was told that she was unlikely to go any further than a week, but she held on, stubborn just like her mum. I was in and out of hospital for the next 5 weeks with bleeds and at my 22nd week my waters broke for the last time. I was admitted to hospital again and told that in all likelyhood I would go into labour that night. I didn`t.
She had proved them wrong again.
I went home still in shock with the news that none of the OB doctors had ever had a pregnancy last so long without waters, nearly 2 full months, full of hope that maybe just maybe she would make it, but our joy was short lived. I developed Pancreatitis at 25 weeks due to the post op infection not being treated correctly and had to be induced.
My labour was only 5 + 1/2 hours long and she was finally born, double breech, at 5:53am on the 1st July 2006. We refused resus knowing that she had no chance of survival and I wanted her to die without pain. She lived for 37 minutes.
She looked so beautiful and at peace and so much like her daddy. She will always be our beautiful daughter and so badly missed by all her family.
We will always be filled with pride in knowing how hard she fought to be here with us and she will always be our precious angel.

I would like to thank all our friends and family who have helped me through this devastating time especially my mum. Thanks Mum I love you XX.

The greatest thanks to all the Midwifery/OB and Paeds resus staff of Perth Royal Infirmary & Ninewells Hospital Dundee, and especially Dr Adam Gordon without whom we would never have had the chance to have been graced with Zara at all.

Thanks also to the Rev Jim Stewart of Letham St Marks Church Perth, for the very beautiful service he gave for Zara, and for the hospital visit which he gave me (Thanks Jim).

I give you this one thought to keep,
I am with you still I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am diamond glints upon the snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush.
Of Quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not think of me as gone,
I am with you still in each new dawn.