Appeal to build baby's face

A mother whose baby was born with half a face has appealed for help to raise £500,000 to rebuild her features before she reaches school age.

The baby was born two months ago with a rare condition which left her without her right eye and ear, only half a nose, and missing half her right jaw.

She was the only one of three triplets to survive the pregnancy and doctors only gave her a 50-50 chance of surviving.

The child was born with Goldenhar Syndrome - a condition affecting one in 500,000 births.

I wouldn't exchange her for 1,000 'normal babies

Baby's mother

Her mother, from Heaton, Newcastle, said: "When I first saw her I didn't know what the future would hold.

"She is a gift from God and she has a purpose in life.

"We have to fight for her as parents and I wouldn't exchange her for 1,000 'normal' babies."

The 25-year-old and her 29-year-old husband now want to raise £500,000 to pay for up to 20 operations to rebuild her face.

They want the operations carried out privately so the treatment can be completed more quickly.

Rib jaw

"Once the operations are done we hope the worst she will have is a glass eye," she said.

But the parents want the process to be over before their daughter starts school.

Surgeons could take a rib from the little girl and reform it into her jaw, her mother said.

Doctors have yet to establish whether the child can see or hear but they have found she does not have the spinal difficulties which often come with babies born with her condition.

Fighting girl

The baby weighed 4.4 lbs (two kilograms) when she was born in December by Caesarean section.

Her father gently told his wife about the baby's condition as she came round after the birth.

She said: "I got the shock of my life when I saw her, I expected a normal baby.

"She has been struggling and fighting so much - we are very proud of her."

It is understood the baby will remain at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary for a number of weeks.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said: "The child is in a satisfactory condition."