A SALTCOATS mum has thanked amazing staff at a maternity unit after their quick response saved her baby.

Jennifer Hamilton raised £400 for the neonatal unit at Crosshouse Hospital after her tot Grace was delivered six weeks early.

The mum-to-be endured a scary experience as a routine blood pressure check escalated to an emergency situation, as staff were forced to deliver baby with both mother and child at risk.

Jennifer was diagnosed with a condition which raised her blood pressure and put her at risk of suffering seizures, as the platelet count of her blood nose-dived.

The 32-year-old was rushed into surgery as baby Grace was delivered with a caesarean section, with Jennifer given several blood transfusions to prevent her blood from clotting.

To make matters worse, her husband Ross had to take a taxi from Glasgow where he was working as all the trains were cancelled.

Jennifer told the Herald: “Grace came six weeks early. I went in for a blood pressure check. But the situation went from 0-100 very quickly.

“Normally the condition causes headaches and other things, there was no symptoms. I hadn’t been to see a doctor; we were lucky that they caught it.”

“We are both risk, because my condition was so serious it could have caused seizures.

“The reaction from the staff was great. It was such a scary situation but the staff were just amazing.”

Grace was taken into the neonatal unit whilst her mum recovered, and medics fought to get her blood pressure back up.

The tot showed amazing strength and was discharged after three days, but Jennifer was still kept in the inpatient ward.

But the new-born and her mum were reunited thanks to the incredible staff at the unit who pushed to get mother and daughter together.

Jennifer could not thank them enough for all their help during their time at the unit.

She said: “The staff were just so lovely and helpful – we couldn’t fault them.

“When she was with me, I calmed down. Her being with me allowed my blood pressure to get better, and they kept pushing to get Grace up to the ward with me.”

The unit also provided little Grace with smaller clothes to help the family out. The tot is now fit and well after being discharged from neonatal outpatient services six months later and will be ready to celebrate her first birthday next month.

Jennifer was so grateful to the unit that she decided when she was in hospital to raise funds via a Santa Dash, she raised £400 for the unit, and donated smaller clothes to help other tiny tots.