A FAMILY whose premature baby nearly died have made a generous pledge to the neonatal unit that helped save their son’s life.

When McKenzie Parker was born eight weeks early at Broomfield Hospital, his weight quickly dropped to just 2lb 6oz – he was the “size of a fist”.

Incubated, staff worked around the clock to save him, while mother Michaela watched on in horror, unsure if her son would ever make it.

The mother-of-three said: “The whole ordeal was so emotional, you simply can’t put it into words.

“After his birth, when I walked into the neonatal clinic, I saw all of these children who looked well and ready to leave.

“And then I saw Mckenzie – I could hardly believe he was mine.

“The next four days were touch and go whether he would make it, and it was down to those incredible staff that he did.”

Since his birth grandmother Louise Poulton, 52, has offered display space in the Great Dunmow art gallery she owns in return for a donation to the Neonatal Unit.

Artists pay £10 a week for a two-week slot, plus they are required to donate 15 per cent of the selling price they achieve.

It has helped her reach £1,125 for the charity, and she presented a cheque for £250 to the team on Monday August 1.

She said: “The work that people do on the ward is amazing.

“I will continue to raise as much as I can for the unit.”

Michaela gave a personal thank you to staff, who she described as “another family”.

She said: “They were there constantly checking every five minutes – if I needed anything, they were there.

“They were the same towards everybody in the family; they were so flexible about visiting times because I had two other children at home and couldn’t drive after my emergency C-section.

“McKenzie is thriving and he’s slowly catching up. It was 24/7 care – they ended up like another family.”