Premature baby born weighing just 2kg makes incredible recovery

A two-month-old baby who has spent her entire life in hospital is about to head home for Easter.

Little Edie has been one of Victoria's sickest babies, cared for by a dedicated team of doctors and nurses in a specialist ward at The Royal Children's Hospital.

She's tiny, but she's a fighter, born premature at 35 weeks and weighing just two kilograms.

Since then, she has spent every day of her young life in intensive care.

"We were told there was a 50 per cent survival rate and she would come straight to the hospital after she was born," her mother Tahlia told 7 News.

Edie also had a hole in her diaphragm and needed life-saving surgery when she was just two weeks old.

Tahlia spends every day helping to care for her daughter's very special needs.

"It's our first child and you don't expect to be here, but when you do, you are just grateful there are the facilities," she said.

"We can't thank [the doctors and nurses] enough, we wouldn't have our child here today if it wasn't for their expertise and care."

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Days ago, little Edie reached an important milestone - she can finally breathe on her own.

Doctors now hope Edie will be well enough to spend Easter with her family at home.

Under the watchful eye of Professor Rod Hunt, Edie is one of the 1000 babies who start their lives in the Butterly Intensive Care ward every year.

"They come here because they are incredibly sick and can access a whole range of specialist services," Professor Hunt said.

"It's an incredible privilege to look after these small babies, we feel very fortunare that we can provide this service."

Some of these little patients have dedicated one-on-one care to deal with their complex medical issues.

The smallest baby treated in the ward was just 480 grams, and the youngest only 24 weeks old.

"She's a fighter and a stubborn little girl," Tahlia said of her special baby.

"To get through all she has, I think she is very, very strong."