How Sunderland family coped as coronavirus kept them apart from premature baby born weighing just 1lb 6oz

The day before national lockdown was imposed, Khloie Lilley gave birth to her daughter Pearl on March 22 – 16 weeks before her due date of July 13.

Parents Khloie and partner Jordan Monson were told Pearl, who weighed just 1lb and 6oz, had a 50% chance of survival as was rushed into Sunderland Royal Hospital’s neonatal unit – where the little fighter remained getting stronger for the next four months.

Pearl, who is now thriving at home with her family in Castletown, needed heart surgery and laser eye surgery due to complications along the way.

And a worldwide pandemic and national lockdown meant her doting parents weren’t able to always be by her side.

“I gave birth on Mother’s Day, one day before the lockdown,” said Khloie. "We could only go an visitor her one at a time and my son, Archie, wasn’t able to visit his little sister at all.

"It was really hard not being able to touch her but we just had to deal with it.