'Angels' save boy from certain death

Born on July 22 with duodenal atresia, which causes intestinal obstruction in newborn babies, Canberra doctors performed a life-saving 2½-hour operation when the tiny baby was just 15 hours old.

In Australia it is considered a relatively simple procedure but in East Timor, where his mother Lelia De Jesus Andrade lives, the condition is a death sentence.

Doctors in East Timor picked up the fault while Mrs De Jesus Andrade was pregnant, but told her there was nothing they could do.

Canberra Hospital agreed to treat the little boy under a partnership agreement with Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children, which helps children from developing countries afflicted with severe medical conditions, and now the little boy is recovering.

It is the first time a pregnant mother has been brought to Australia to save her baby's life.

Mrs De Jesus Andrade said it was a miracle and the doctors were "like angels''.

"Of course I want to say thank you to the doctors,'' she said.

"Not any place to have the operation in Timor so we come here.''

Almost two weeks after the surgery the little boy is breastfeeding and has put on more than 300 grams. He is expected to be discharged on Tuesday.

Clinical director of the Department of Neonatology at Canberra Hospital Zsuzsoka Kecskes said without treatment the child would have died.

''Eleven days after the operation, the baby was able to have all feeds in to his stomach via a tube and is currently learning how to breast feed,'' she said.

"The narrowed part of the duodenum was removed and the healthy ends connected to each other.''

Reinaldy and his mother will remain in Australia for one month after he is discharged from Canberra Hospital to make sure there are no complications.

"The baby's life expectancy should be normal. A few babies develop some problems later on such as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, a leak of the sutures where the gut ends were connected, or a narrowing at the connection site again.''